School Closure Resources

We are putting some resources that you and your child(ren) may find helpful. We plan to add new items regularly, so check back often 🙂

Please remember that you can only do what is possible for you, in your circumstances. What children need right now is to feel comforted and loved. Try to give them a sense of routine. Let them take on tasks in the home. Bake things and paint pictures. If you have time, play board games and watch movies. They can still be outside (remember social distance) and go on walks. Snuggle under warm blankets and do nothing – you need a rest and your spirits kept up, too.

At the end of all of this, your children’s mental health is all-important. How they felt during this time will stay with them long after the memory of what they did during this period is long gone. Praise your child, talk to them, learn with them. Try to keep their brain ticking over, along with keeping them smiling and content.

While social distancing prevents playdates and meetups, it is now that your child’s use of technology will be useful. With this in mind, you and your child(ren) have been invited to join Class Dojo. This will provide a link for your child to their class teacher. As the school closure will last longer than originally anticipated, additional work will be organised by your child’s teacher and distributed through Class Dojo. We would ask you to communicate with your child’s teacher  through Class Dojo only and respect that they are also adjusting to this new normal.

The portfolio option on Class Dojo will allow your child to create a virtual collection of the work they’ve completed. This can be work or activities assigned by the teacher or work your child has chosen to work on. Now is an ideal time for children to research subjects they are interested in. Dojo will give them an audience outside their home to share their work with.

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Resources – click the image or the title

	Twinkl    Education resources and worksheets. They are offering all parents and teachers a One Month FREE Ultimate Membership to Twinkl.ie. This will allow parents and teachers unlimited access to every single resource for every single curriculum subject from junior infants to sixth class.Use the code IRLTWINKLHELPS.
	Visit http://www.FolensOnline.ie and click register. Select “Teacher” and fill in username, email and password. For Roll Number use the code “Prim20”. You can access Abair Liom (our Irish scheme) through this site.

	Simply go to www.edcolearning.ie/login and use the username primaryedcobooks with the password edco2020.

Literacy Links

	Vooks is offering one month free to parents and teachers. It has a variety of read alouds.

Pobble365	Pobble365 is a wonderful oral language resource. A daily photograph/prompt is posted and there are lots of ideas for discussion and/or writing based on the photograph.
	Click on https://slp.cjfallon.ie/ to access Sounds Like Phonics by CJ Fallon. It is an excellent way of revising sounds your child will have learned in school. There are games,

	Storyberries     Free storybooks to read with your child. Sorted by age (of child) and length (of story). There’s an audiobook version, too, called Storyberries Radio!
	Story Time from Space     Real astronauts reading stories…from inside the Space Station! See the International Space Station and watch real astronauts read children’s stories (with a space theme, obviously). Click on the blue banner at the top to hear a story or change a story.

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Maths Links

	Daily 10 by TopMarks is a excellent way for children to revise their tables. In class we use it on small whiteboards and children can self check answers at the end.
	Numberblocks is an excellent resource on YouTube (and BBC). It covers basic concepts like number recognition, with more recent episodes covering division and multiplication.

	MathsWeek.ie have a fantastic resource. Every day they have Target Boards, daily activity and puzzles. Definitely worth checking out!

 

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Irish Links

If possible talk to your children in Irish. Irish Primary Teacher has this video on key phrases for the theme Mé Féin. Choose 2/3 phrases to learn and practice each day! Cúla4 is a great resource to watch children’s show in Irish. They also have apps to download, you can see a sample below:
Visit http://www.FolensOnline.ie and click register. You can access Abair Liom (our Irish scheme) through this site. It has all the songs, poems and interactive activities that we use in the classroom.

 

Exercise, Meditation and Wellbeing

	10@10     The RTE Jr page has fifteen short exercise videos (PE at home!) that your child(ren) will love to dance through! They are available in English and Irish. Two school subjects at once – what’s not to like? Click the Download link under each one to play on your phone, laptop or tablet.
	The Body Coach (Joe Wicks) is going to hold LIVE PE lessons from 9am Monday to Firday on his YouTube channel for children (and adults :-)) of all ages. Joe recognises that parents are going to be under pressure and for 30 minutes a day he plans to inspire and energise the kids to get active, bounce around and have fun!

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Art Links

	Art Hub For Kids has a fantastic bank of guided drawings for children (and adults 🙂 ) to follow.

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SESE (Science, History, Geography) Links

	Nature’s Web     A lovely Irish nature site for children. They have a seasonal magazine produced in Sherkin Island, Cork. You can download the magazine, or just an article or two. The current issue has features on where to find ladybirds, nature jokes, a board game about recycling and a colouring section. You can also subscribe to the magazine – free.
	News2Day

ICT Links

Hour of Code has been used in St. Peter’s for years. Children can start with the basics or, if they have experienced coding before, use the advanced levels to upskill.

Infants: https://padlet.com/ffarry1/jnrsnr

1st/2nd Class: https://padlet.com/ffarry1/firsec

3rd/4th Class: https://padlet.com/ffarry1/thifou

5th/6th Class: https://padlet.com/ffarry1/fifthsixth