Happy Friday girls!!

It was so lovely to see all of you girls on Zoomday (yesterday!) Thank you all for taking the time to join us and for sharing what you enjoy doing these days.

Some girls love going for walks,others spending more time with their families.Others are dying their hair different colours, reading more books, visiting their new house, doing Zoom activities with their football club, playing tennis,cycling, painting,baking,  lying on in bed in the morning,spending more time with their animals, waiting for the space launch, reading the class blog.Ms. O Dea did I forget any???! 

I know some girls were disappointed because they couldn't access the meeting for different meetings. Ms Greene sent out a clarifying text. You must sign the contract before being admitted. This was our first class Zoom and its good to see what problems arise so we can sort everything out for the NEXT ONE!!  YESSS we are having more. MS.O Dea has a great plan for the next one!!!

Enjoy this BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND!!

​Ms Bourke

Message from Ms O'Dea

Good morning girls,

Well it was just lovely to see you all yesterday, and thank you for brightening up my day. I must say you are all looking so grown up and ready to become sixth class girls soon!! Also what I really enjoyed was hearing all the things that you are enjoying doing, in this special time. They were all things like going for a walk, or cycling, seeing your family more often, these are all lovely simple things. In times like this it's really the little things that matter most. 

I know some of you were disappointed that you couldn't get access to the meeting, but the good news is that there will be one next week. So make sure that you have signed the contract nice and early and we will have a great chat next week.

So we are heading in to a long weekend, which means that there is no school Monday. Also from next week your school work will be a little different. We'll talk about that again next Tuesday. For now get your work done as quickly as possible and get outside and enjoy some fresh air.

Have a lovely long weekend and stay safe,
Ms O'Dea

Good Morning World!

Well it's ZOOMDAY today! 

I am so looking forward to seeing all of you FIFTHCLASSERS later this morning!! I will imagine for a few moments that we are all up in Room 9 in OLV!  It's exciting for so many reasons, actually ..and it's our first time having a ZOOM ASSEMBLY!!

Isn't it a wonderful opportunity to practise our MINDFULNESS?? Simply noticing how we are feeling in what is a strange new way of meeting each other? Will we feel anxious,,shy, emotional, sad, happy, enthusiastic, curious, embarrassed, selfconscious ,delighted.excited...we will meet not only each other but so many feelings!! Take a little notice when you feel them.

Chat soon!

​Ms. Bourke

Message from Ms O'Dea

Good morning girls,

Well I woke up this morning thinking today is going to be a great day. I can't wait to see you all later, to see how much you have grown and how mature you have gotten. Before the call have a quick look over Ms Greene's  contract just to make sure that you know exactly what is expected of you, but I know how good you girls are. 

Today is also meant to be the hottest day ever recorded in Ireland, in May ever before. So you are going to remember the first school Zoom call you had as a very sunny special day!!!

Make sure you check out Ms Smyth's Well Being task, it is fantastic and great way to relax. 

See you all later!!!

Ms O'Dea

Good Wednesday Girls!

I am here listening to birdsong on another sunny morning!

I hear a robin, wren ,bluetit ,blackbird..and sometimes a pigeon cooing. Seagulls fly over too but I really don't count them as 'singers"! There is a family of magpies in the tall trees behind my house..and while they are VERY CHATTY it isn't the beautiful singing of the smaller garden birds

 Sometimes a flock of geese fly overhead ..heading up to The Bull Wall, their wings making a WHOOSH kind of sound

As some of you know I have an app on my phone called Garden Birds. I can learn a little about each bird. But the best is I can hear the song each one sings!I 

I am more of a MORNING PERSON!! I am lucky to have a little back garden. So on these lovely mornings I have my breakfast out there..maybe sevenish..and just listen to the birds before my workday begins!

I hope all you other EARLY BIRDS are enjoying the MORNING CHOIR!!

​Ms. Bourke

Message from Ms O'Dea

Good morning girls

How are you all this morning? I'm getting excited for our Zoom chat tomorrow. It will be great to see all of you tomorrow and hear your news. Make sure that you have read the contract and that you have responded to Ms Greene's email, before the call tomorrow. 

Also have a look at Ms Greene's blog post from yesterday. It outlines details of the Walk for Niall. This is a walk that is taking place on Sunday, where families are encouraged to go for a walk, it could be in your local park or around your house and to  wear blue. This walk is in honor of Niall who is Ms Durnin's husband. He fell ill last December and he has been in hospital since then but he is coming home in June. It would be great if we could virtually all support Ms Durnin and her family. There is no pressure to do this but it is just an idea.

Take care
Ms O'Dea

Good Morning!

Isn't it sooo hard to stay inside and do work in this lovely weather!l If we were in OLV we would probably be sitting on that grassy spot  outside Ms Holden's classroom..reading our novels or having a Circle Time maybe..or eating our lunch perhaps?

 Today is Tuesday or PE DAY ,so I really hope you get outside and go for a cycle,a walk, a run or just to play. Put the books away a little earlier today maybe and avail of all this fresh air that sunshine is allowing us to enjoy! Remember to practise 'social distancing" still when outside...it's not forever ..just for the forseeable future .So we can practise patience for a little longer, Why? Because it's working. 

Have a lovely day ( and maybe even an ice-cream!)

Ms. Bourke

Message from Ms O'Dea

Good morning girls

How are you getting on? Hopefully you all got outside yesterday and enjoyed the sun!! 

Like Ms Bourke mentioned if we were in school, we'd have had our lunches outside or read our books outside. Imagine how good it'll be when we do it again. 

I went for a walk yesterday and I got a lovely 99 ice cream, it was so tasty. Don't forget to check out Ms Farrell's Well Being task.  

Take care
Ms O'Dea

Good Monday Morning!
Do you ever get a MONDAY FEELING? I think I'm having one this morning...and it's a feeling that I don't like! But I'm remembering..to notice it ,and to know that it will  pass. We can have many feelings in one day.In the circumstances we are in now we sure have time to notice all of them! 
Wasn't the weather yesterday just beautiful! My daughter cycled over .She had just finished a 40km cycle out  along the coast. So we sat out in the garden and swapped news.
That reminds me..I must leave my own bike in to Little Sports to get the brakes fixed today!
I hope you all got a chance to enjoy the weather yourselves yesterday. .Its looking like its going to be a sunny day today too.
As always let me know if you need any support though the class blog or email.

Ms.Bourke
ps That Monday Feeling has passed away and I am noticing I'm feeling happy now..and going to sit out my back with a cup of tea and listen to the birds before I start my day's work.

Message from Ms O'Dea

Good morning girl,

How are you all this morning? Wasn't the weather just gorgeous yesterday. I'd a lovely weekend, yesterday I went over to my mum and dad's and we had a pizza. You all know how much I love pizza!!

I found this youtube clip that I think you will find it interesting. Children are asking Ireland's chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan (you have probably seen him on the news) lots of great questions about Covid-19. Some of these questions are probably questions that you have and are wondering the answers too, so hopefully he will answer your questions. 

Take care

Ms O'Dea

Happy Friday girls!

I woke up at 6.00  this morning! Do you think I could go back asleep..NO!! 
This popped in to my head:

Fifth Class Thoughts

I'm sick of this coronavirus
I even hate its name
Keeping us all stuck inside
Everything's the boring same
I want to be back in OLV
At school with all my mates
I never thought I'd say it
I didn't think it cool
But I will be queuing at those gates
Can't wait to
GET BACK TO SCHOOL.

It's Friday..the weekend is here. Time for us all to put our schoolwork away and relax for the weekend!
Have a good one!

​Ms Bourke

Message from Ms O'Dea

Good morning girls 

I just love Ms Bourke's poem this morning. It is exactly how I am feeling, I'm really missing all of you girls and the teachers and SNAs. I would just love to be in school today, I love Fridays and having the chance to talk to you girls as you are doing your art and seeing what nice things you have planned for the weekend. Friday's just aren't the same anymore. 

However on the bright side it is Friday and it is the weekend and a chance to take a break from your school work. Hopefully you'll get outside and get some fresh air. Also today I put up the Well Being Task so take a look at it and see how you get on!!

Stay safe 
Ms O'Dea

Good Morning Everybody!

Wow, yesterday was HOT!! I hope you all managed to take advantage of that lovely day.

I am getting to  know my neighbours very well these days! They are often out in the front gardens of their houses...waiting for someone to pass by for a chat! I have four elderly neighbours and they sit at their front doors on their kitchen chairs with a mug of tea..especially in this warm weather. Then when I am passing by...,out for a walk, or to go to the shops..even the bottle bank.and now EDGES, my local hardware shop..they wave and I go over for a chat and other neighbours might amble over...all socially distancing of course. It can take quite a while to get to where I was intending to go!!

I am getting acquainted with a lot of DOGS too! My favourite is Milo from across the road. He is a very chatty dog.He is so enthusiastic, he sometimes brings his owner for walk!!

I am going to have my breakfast Out The Back again this morning...see what the slugs have NOT partied on last night.

As always if you need any support or just to say HELLO message me on the class blog or email from a parents email cbourkeolvgns@gmail.com.

Enjoy today

​Ms. Bourke

Message from Ms O'Dea

Good morning girls 

How are you all? It's Thursday and it's nearly the weekend!! The weather is just beautiful, have you got up to anything in the lovely weather? Hopefully you are able to enjoy the sun.

I went for another lovely walk with my sister and her twins. It is so nice to be able to see them again. 

Now have you checked out Ms Behan's Well Being task today, it is a great one, you'll really enjoy it.

Take care
​Ms O'Dea

Good morning girls!

I think today is going to be a scorcher...22 Celsius in the afternoon according to Met Eireann! Remember how important vitamin D is to keep us healthy.Where can we get that (for nothing!) today?? Yes from the sun. So put aside the books for at least an hour and go out on your balcony/street/garden/local park for exercise and sunshine during the daytime! 

I am off for a long walk now before it gets too hot!

Remember to be mindful of happy moments during the day...'MINDFUL" just means to notice ..so if you are feeling any of those feelings we love to feel,,. pause and simply notice ..and enjoy.

Have a MINDFUL DAY today...with a topping of sunshine!
Ms. Bourke

Message from Ms O'Dea

Well good morning girls

And what  a beautiful morning it is! I hope you all get outside to get some fresh air today. I have just been for a long walk and it is just gorgeous out. Getting fresh air is so important and as Ms Bourke said it is so important to get vitamin D these days. 

Hopefully you got out yesterday to enjoy the sun, I went for a walk with my sister and her little girls. It was so nice to see them and see how big the twins have got.

Have a lovely day, and stay safe,
Ms O'Dea

Good morning everybody!

I hope you are enjoying out new plan of work!
As I mentioned on yesterday's blog I walked to OLV yesterday as the building was temporarily opened for teachers. It was a surreal experience! Did you watch Ms Green's video on her blog yesterday? It captures the atmosphere ! Anyway everything is as we left it...all our basins with your stuff in them are all waiting patiently for you to claim them we return!

If any of you suffer from hay fever how are you finding it at the moment?? This is the time of year for it..and the weather too!


I called in to my local hardware store on the walk home form OLV..as it reopened yesterday...to say a big WELCOME BACK and to buy some flowers...and a hammar. It is so tiny only one person is allowed in the shop a time! I planted the flowers yesterday
Well there must have been a SLUG PARTY last night as they ate through one of them..thought the petals were delicious!! 

As always keep in touch through the blog or mscbourkeolvgns@gmail.com.

Ms. Bourke

Message from Ms O'Dea

Good morning girls

It looks like today is going to be a beautiful day. The sun is beginning to shine and it is very warm out.

How did you get on with the work yesterday? Did you find the maths a little more straightforward? Let us know how you are finding it. If you have any questions email me at msodeaolv@gmail.com. Also I can't wait to see what you did for for your Well Being Task yesterday, you can email a picture of it to me. Ms Cassidy has today's task up and it's another lovely one so have a look.

I'd a lovely day yesterday. I did my school work in the morning and then in the afternoon, I went for a walk with my mum and dad. It was great to see them and have a chat, even if it was drizzling rain as we walked!!

Stay safe,
Ms O'Dea

Good Monday Morning Girls!!

I hope you had a relaxing weekend! 

Ms O Dea and I have posted your work for the next two weeks. We think you will enjoy it.Watch out for the OPTIONS in maths!! We think you will  certainly like that idea!! As always let me know how you are finding this schoolwork through email at mscbourkeolvgns@gmail.com or through the class blog here.

I am going to have my breakfast now (mixed fruit with nuts and seeds and a POT of tea) and guess where I am going for my DAILY WALK?? I am off to OLV , as it  opens for just a few hours this morning for teachers to collect what they need from their classrooms. After all we all left in such a hurry! This is part of lifting the restrictions...THANK GOODNESS! So with patience and care they will all be lifted and we can breathe a sigh of relief and see everyone again.

I will let you know how I get on!!

Have a good day,

​Ms Bourke

Message from Ms O'Dea

Good morning,

I hope you all had a good weekend and got to do something nice to relax. The weather today is a bit overcast, but tomorrow is looking like a beautiful warm day.

So Ms Greene is putting up this fortnights work. I know sometimes when you see the work you can  think there is a lot to do and where do I start. This morning think what am I going to do today, you have to do English, Irish and Maths, and then pick one other subject, such as History, Geography, Science or SPHE. 

Also on the school website their is a Well Being section. Every morning, there will be a daily task to complete. Ms Callinan has put up a fantastic task this morning, you will have to complete a 'Happy Wall' and I can't wait to see what you guys come up with.

Take care,
Ms O'Dea