Monday 18th May 2020

Good morning – I hope you all enjoyed the weekend and everyone is staying safe and well. Our last week of school in May is here. Next week is mid-term, so we'll have no work next week posted on Learn@Home. Time for a break or a wee catch up if you need it. The last month of the school year is nearly upon us - it has certainly been a year that we will not forget in a hurry.

At the start of the week, we reset our routines and try to stick with them as the week progresses. Teachers have been very busy adding further work to our Learn@Home section and we hope you can access this. If not, please let us know via Seesaw, or give the school office a call. It is much more challenging now to maintain interest and enthusiasm, so give it your best. Everyone has different circumstances and there will be days when you may need to just do something else. You have all been doing such a great job at home – thank you.

Today on Newsdesk the article is about the Titanic. Titanic is fascinating and you’ll find out some very interesting facts. It took 22 tonnes of soap to help launch the ship from its dry dock into the water. That’s the same weight as about 20 cars! It was 269 metres long – or about two and a half times the length of the gaelic pitch. What else do you know about the ill-fated ship?

On Junior Newsdesk Amelia & Jenny investigate the Belfast blitz. There’s some comparison with how we are dealing with the Corona virus now, with people having to help each other and stay at home. Our school had some children who were evacuated from the Belfast blitz at the time. Imagine having to move away from home without your parents?

Week 2 of Healthy Kidz Virtual Sports Day and the two events this week are the egg & spoon and the high jump. We use golf balls or potatoes instead of eggs. If you use eggs, make sure you boil them first – it will save a lot of mess. Concentration is just as important as speed during an egg & spoon race. High jump is a good event for all the family to take part in.

You Will Need

A high Wall or Fence

A Measuring Tape

A ‘Tester’ with a Pencil/Chalk or similar to mark the height of your jump

How To Set Up and Record Your Result

Begin standing sideways to the Wall or Fence you will be using, with your dominant arm a few inches from the surface. Your feet should be around shoulder-width apart, arms by your side. With your feet flat on the ground, place your dominant arm only straight up above your head and touch the wall as high as you can. The Tester will put a small mark on the wall right at the end of your fingertips, which will represent your standing reach.

You will then take up your start position again, but this time when you are ready, you will dip down and again using your arms to help you, explode off the ground touching the wall with your dominant hand at the highest point possible.

The Tester will be on hand to place another small mark on the wall at this highest point. (Alternatively, the participant may hold the chalk and mark both their standing reach mark and jumping mark at the top of the jump).

Complete 3 attempts and place a new mark on the wall if you manage to beat your previous effort.

The Tester will then measure the distance between the two marks in centimetres (cm) and let you know your best result. Here’s a short video that will help. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzwf0eDAMCE

Thanks to everyone for your great pictures. Manus has been very busy making his own Viking outfit from scratch – including dyeing the fabric! He’s also been out helping entertain his neighbours. Mrs Dowdall has created her own ‘hanging’ garden like Matthew’s – perhaps you should have used pink as well, Matthew? And Aoibhlínn has been very busy reading the P4 book, The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark. I've also seen some of your photos on Seesaw, but cannot use these on our website. If you'd like to share pics, please e-mail to: info@stpatrickspssaul.downpatrick.ni.sch.uk

Remember to keep praying for those who are sick or alone and those people who are working so hard to look after them. Pray for everyone who is so busy looking after you and still working to ensure we have everything we need. We are so grateful.

Stay safe.

Today’s joke:

What do you call a dog magician?

A labracadabrador.