Ode to Joy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wod-MudLNPA

Highlight link, right click and go straight to Ode to Joy.

IRELAND and SLOVENIA............some comparisons.

With the compliments of www.scoilnet.ie which provides free resources for Primary School curriculum we researched the above comparisons and indeed contrasts.

IRELAND and CROATIA.......a comparision.

Here are some interesting facts about Croatia and Ireland compliments of : 

www.scoilnet.ie a free resource service provided to Irish Primary Schools.

Food.

http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/19186438/

Here is the link to our game on European cuisine. Press the Green Flag and negotiate the Arrow Keys.   

Crests.

http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/19186291/

 Crests carry symbolism and concentrated meaning and are very interesting particularly with the our new Euro Nations Group being known. Again press on the Green Flag and negotiate the Arrow Keys. Maximise your screen for better results.

Landmarks.

http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/19186655/

 Here are some major European Landmarks. Press the Green Key and negotiate the Arrow Keys. For better result change to full screen. 

Stadia.

http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/19186337/

International Football Stadia are always a great attraction. Again press the Green Flag and negotiate the Arrow Keys and see how you get on.

Flags.

http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/19186337/

Put out more flags !!!!! Hit the Green Flag and move around using the Arrow Keys.

Scratching The Blue Star Project.

During the past few weeks we have been exploring the following themes in our European Culture....International Football, Crests, Food, Landmarks, Flags and Stadia. We researched and learned a great deal.

We then decided to go a step further and develop games centred on the aforementioned themes. Using the the developmental program SCRATCH we produced the following suite of activities.

Firstly an ad hoc, off the cuff, no notes, no cues introduction to SCRATCH by the leader of the team.

We will upload the games as individual posts on this blog.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKhwtKxy8II

Celtic-Hellenic Poetry Exposition.

The Greek students have completed the evaluation of our poems, have awarded points, reached a decision and forwarded the results and the prizes.

This was a great exercise and involved much activities, collaboration and communication. 

At this very moment we are at an advanced stage in the evaluation of the Greek poems and hope to have reached a verdict early next week.

Here is the link to the Greek Jury. 

  

Poem's contest of our Irish friends "Water"

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aq-IPO61DxU

Questionnaire.

We thank Brian Crowley MEP for his very speedy and very informative response to our digital questionnaire.

Snapshot of Digital Questionnaire.

Here is a snapshot of a questionnaire sent to Brian Crowley MEP  (Ireland South)

                                                                                                                        

We have already received a reply from Séan Kelly MEP.

  We hope to make contact with Phil Prendergast MEP.

Look who is following our Blue Star Project Blog !!!!!

In Ireland and The United Kingdom.

Across Europe.

In The Americas.

Far East and Australia.

Greek Poems.

Results of The Irish Jury.

First:

Oh my water

Me sweet water, how nice you roll in my small waterfall.

Beautiful and blue

Ah, my water, how much I love you.

The day you refresh me at night you  illuminate me!

Oh my water, my refreshing water!

	Aggelina Ah nero mou Ah nero mou Neraki mou, ti oraea kilas sto kataraktaki mou Omorfo ke galano, ah nero mou, poso se agapo. Tin imera me drosizis Kai ti nichta me fotizis! Ah nero mou, neraki mou!

Second:

I asked my eyes

Why are they teary

And they answered me

Because I saw ' You '

- Life flows in The creek

And it's a pity

Dealing with a little thing !

- When I see you, my eyes fill with tears

And my heart responds !

How I yearn to hope !

- I asked the sea what love is and she wrote me on the sand

" Love - pain - tear '

- If all life were like the sea

Deep and vast

Then everything would be as the clean water and truly like the waves. An endless journey .

- When you really love always cry to get it!

- Love is tear

That when you  love, flows

And from the heart passes.

Third:

The clouds mingled

water Filled

The tears started

and gave birth to  the rain

The roads become muddy

The Rivers tuft

The lakes overflow

Until the rays of the sun to illuminate

The heat flares

A caster spreads

small Fairies

become sky’s slaves

And up there

The  work starts again

Small droplets do little ride

Gentle rain to give or

Snow to stretch out.

Once again Knockaclarig NS. would like to thank the Greek School and its students for this great ongoing collaboration.

Of course a special thanks to super motivator, organiser, leader and inspiring teacher ...the one and only.... IOULIA .... Greece’s greatest ambassadoress !!!

Celtic-Hellenic Poetry Exposition.

The Greek students have completed the evaluation of our poems and they have sent us this video. It is best seen in youtube.

The poetry theme focused on that very scarce and valuable commodity...

WATER.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aq-IPO61DxU

1st 
 WATER

Water Water everywhere

In Summer we`ll have lots to spare.

Water is very nice

Its also used to make ice

Water is used to cure a drought

Don`t doubt it will never run out.

Water flows left to right

Sometimes it gives people a fright.

Water is a lovely drink

It’s the best I think.

2^nd
 Raindrops.

As I sat on a sunny April day

I thought the spring had come at last

And the winter had gone away.

But then to my astonishment a big black cloud appeared

And splashed its raindrops everywhere

Which led to my dismay.

The daffodils were blooming

And the birds they were singing

Those April showers will bring May flowers.

So the rain is a gain.

3nd 
Water, Water Everywhere.

Water, water everywhere over here and over there.

You come from the sky to the ground...water all around.

Water, water everywhere there is just no time to spare.

I hope my umbrella does not tear.

4^th  
Importance of Water

The beautiful oceans so deep so wide................

Listening to the ocean tides.

The ocean is full of beautiful creatures

With quite amazing features.

Water is very important to animals

Water is super important to mammals.

Without water we would die in a week

Now that’s something we don’t want to seek.

So water is truly a mystery..................

Because without it we would be history.

5^th 
Uisce Water

Water washes over my hand

Water slips away like sand.

Water trickles down a river

Water slides just like a slither.

Water is patient and knows when to wait

Water doesn't mind if it shows up late.

Water falls from the sky in tears

Water wipes away wasted years.

Water can die and live again

Water can squash and pry and bend.

Water has been here in the beginning,

and water will be here until the end.

Water is reliable

Water is a human’s friend.

6^th  
Dependence.

All living plants depend on it.

It is essential for every creature.

But some people take it for granted

And think it’s just some small tiny feature.

While a great many people think like this

There are many more people suffering  !!

Those in developing countries are exposed

To disease and death and even starvation.

So while 75% of the earth is covered by it

There is still a lack in these countries.

We should not be wasting this beautiful gift

Instead we should be saving it

For those countries in need.

So now we know this misfortune is happening

While all last week the waves were lapping.

So we are lucky in this little country

For cool clean water to enjoy  !!!!!!!

7^th
 WaterUisceAqua.

Uisce= Irish for Water;  Aqua= Latin for Water.

Whales and dolphins swimming with their giant fins,

All the fish in schools they swim,eels and sharks tear them limb from limb.

The shark called Megaladon swims the ocean,he is always in motion.

Eels are huge, long pests  ..... 400-500 are in their nests.

Ruins of Atlantis are they real?? “Bark, Bark”, says the seal.

Under the sea what mysteries can it hold? The sea-lions are so bold !

Icebergs so vast they sank The Titanic in the past.

Snakes as wide as 10 metres in swamps and great rocks of salt in clumps.

Clusters of clam on otter hunts, they will not take any runts.

Eire’s waters are full of oil while a certain percentage is in denial.

All cannot survive without water even though some use it for slaughter.

Quiet  oceans, roaring seas and a nice cool ocean breeze.

Under the water some secrets are hidden, who knows what animals have been hidden

A poem is now ending,   Great !!!!   while anglers use worms as bait.

8^th 
Precious Water

Water Water comes from the sky.

Water Water if you don’t

drink it you will die.

If you look around water is everywhere

from our mountains to our sea

Water Water is so nice

when it is warm it cools inside.

Water Water is here and there

Water Water is precious everywhere.

9^th 
Deep Thinking.

Whales and dolphins..the mammals of the water,

The people do wrong and to them they hunt and slaughter.

Oil sometimes makes a spill,

Makes the fishes ill.

Red sea has a canal that joins it with the Med,

There lies many fishes dead.

Longest is The Nile,

You might even spot a crocodile.

Down The Angel Falls we go,

Why you’re there you do not know.

Oceans long and deep do be,

Oh!!! Come  on let’s go and see.

Fishes have six to eight gills,

Try to stay off the dinner bills.

When a volcano in the water blows,

It will splash you like a hose.

Africa the world’s driest continent,

With a nose that’s very bent.

Tidal waves smash and dent,

Wiping away cent by cent.

Europe the world’s wettest continent,

Is getting richer cent by cent.

Rippling waves to floating ships,

Deliver us some tasty fish ‘n’ch

10^th 

Refreshment and Power.

Water is precious, ancient and treasured,

As useful as can be for work and leisure.

Tea and coffee it can make,

Each drop of it we will take.

It is amazing the way it works,

In the clouds it lurks.

It can help to grow a plant,

Give it too much and it can’t.

But don’t underestimate its power,

It has so much it can knock a tower.

And that is why I think it’s nice,

Oh ya !!!!  it also goes well with ice.

Slovenian National Anthem.


Slovenia is the other EU that we have zoomed in on for intensive study as part of The Blue Star Project.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-WuhiuEOQc   

We also enjoyed The Slovenian National Anthem.

We found out that the emblem on the flag is The Triglav mountain peak. The mountain peak in The Julian Alps stands at 2864 metres, almost three times as high as Kerry's and Ireland's highest mountain peak Carrán Tuathail in The McGillycuddy mountain range.

 We also noted that this emblem is carried on the police uniforms in Slovenia.

KARST landscapes and Postojna Cave.

On school tours we have visited the three major cave formations in Munster, nearby Crag Cave in Castleisland, Co. Kerry, The Mitchelstown Caves in Burncourt, Co. Tipperary and The Ailwee Cave in The Burren ,Co. Clare. Our research in Slovenia introduced to a famous Slovenian cave ...The Postojna Cave.We also found out that this region of Slovenia has a KARST landscape just like the landscape we explored in The Burren.

Croatian National Anthem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lvHpkndatM

National Anthems and respective National holidays of various countries are always an attraction in the class so we listen here to he Croatian National Anthem.

The lyrics, in both Croatian and English further enhance the performance.

Of course our latest sporting international engagement with Croatia was in the 2012 Euro Nations Finals in Poland/Ukraine. After giving away an early goal we got back on level terms but later suffered a serious defeat.

Training Day.

Along with many other Blue Star teachers from all over the country I attended the Training Day in Dublin. Facilitated by Joe Bishop and his team it was a very valuable exercise from informative,social and cultural viewpoints. There were detailed discussions, fine exchanges of cross-curricular, innovative ideas and great collegiality evident among the group.

                                     All the modules in the project were explored in great detail. 

Irish Adaption of "The Pied Piper of Hamelin."

Culture and Creativity

("The Pied Musician of Brosna")

Our production of "The Pied Piper of Brosna" was a great success. We put the story dialogue in the Irish context  but totally preserved the integrity of the concept due to excellent work from the Deputy-Principal Mrs. Ann Nash.We produced authentic German dwellings for the sets and also used authentic clothing and footwear from this legendary era.

Here we show a video extract  as our performers got totally immersed in the action.

Prezi Project.

Here is the link to our Prezi Project Framework.

http://prezi.com/hg3z9ufpwoze/?utm_campaign=share&