Everybody here has become so excited about space. This is our short video which shows the different space activities we took part in over the past two years. First, we made a lego replica of the ExoMars Rover. We took it to Portugal and showed children from our other European partner schools how to make it. You can learn more and view videos of our trip to Portugal here. Then we had a star-gazing party where we looked at some constellations. Fifth class pupils visited Mount Etna in Sicily where lunar robots have been put to the test. They took part in various science experiments, games and activities related to space. You can view videos from the trip to Sicily here.

The infants performed an experiment to learn how craters were made on the moon. We read the classroom edition of The Martian by Andy Weir and also launched a helium space balloon which travelled 28km into the stratosphere before returning to Earth and landing in Athboy Co Meath. You can view a 360 degree video of the space balloon journey by clicking here. This is our video to show why we think space is amazing!

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Here is a space quiz we created on the classroom computers for our Erasmsus+ project. Everyone in the room added two questions and we made it into a game where you get points for each correct answer. See how many points you can get! 🙂 Click here to play the game fullscreen.

A sincere thank you to all who supported our Pupil Art Exhibition which took place on Thursday 24th May.  It was a great success!

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This week we built our very own bug hotel here at school. The children really enjoyed this activity and learnt more about biodiversity along the way. They all worked hard to find suitable materials and construct an attractive dwelling place for the insects in Gortskehy!

What is a bug hotel? A bug hotel is a manmade structure created from natural and recycled materials to provide shelter for insects.  They can come in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on the specific purpose or insect it is catering for. They usually consist of different sections that provide insects with nesting facilities –  offering shelter or refuge for many types of insects. Many insect hotels are used as nest sites by insects including solitary bees. Other insects hotels are specifically designed to allow the insects to hibernate, notable examples include ladybirds and butterflies.

Good materials to construct insect hotels with can include using dry stone walls or old tiles. Drilled holes in the hotel materials also encourage insects to leave larvae to gestate. Different materials, such as stones and woods are recommended for a wide range and diversity of insect life. Logs and bark, bound reeds and bamboo are also often used. The various components or sizes of holes attract different species.

Building a bug hotel will not just benefit wildlife in our area but we will have the pleasure of being able to watch a host of different creatures making their homes and learn all about their fascinating behaviours. A bug hotel offers free accommodation to its occupants. In return, when it’s time to go they’ll be right on site to go about their pollination and pest predation. The good news is a bug hotel costs nothing just a little time and effort. Please watch the photostory attached to see the children creating the bug hotel.

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We are taking part in the Eco Ranger’s primary school programme which is run by Bord na Móna and involves various fun activities with our pupils to discover, learn and connect with nature. Helen O’Callaghan from the Irish Examiner contacted us to find out more and you can read the full article here.