Ballyglass National School

Student Council Blog – March and April Edition.

📢Ballyglass Student Council Update

Another Busy Period for Our Student Council!

March and April were another busy and productive time for the Ballyglass National School Student Council & Green School Committee. Members organised our annual Easter Egg Hunt, encouraged pupils to bring in bottles and cans for the Re-Turn recycling scheme, and helped with our Cash for Clobber campaign. They also brightened up our school by planting colourful flowers in our window boxes. To top it all off, senior council member Sarah proudly represented our school at the RDS National Quiz Final. Well done to our hardworking and enthusiastic Student Council on another fantastic term!

🐣♻️🌷🏆⭐👏

🌍 International News Report

Back to the Moon with NASA!

This April, people all around the world were watching something very special. NASA successfully launched Artemis II, the first mission to send astronauts around the Moon in more than 50 years.

Four astronauts travelled in the Orion spacecraft on a 10-day journey around the Moon before returning safely to Earth. This mission is an important step in helping scientists learn more about space and prepare for future Moon landings.

At Ballyglass National School, we think this is a wonderful reminder that curiosity, teamwork, and courage can lead to amazing discoveries. Who knows—maybe one of our students could be part of a future space mission one day!

Keep looking up at the night sky—you never know what adventures are waiting among the stars. 🚀🌕 ()

By The Student Council

🇮🇪 National News Now

Fuel Prices in Ireland

During March and April, many people across Ireland were talking about the rising cost of fuel. Petrol and diesel prices increased, which made it more expensive for families, farmers, delivery drivers, and people travelling to work.

The rise in prices happened because of problems around the world that affected the supply of oil and gas. This meant that fuel became more expensive in many countries, including Ireland.

During this time, groups such as farmers and transport workers spoke with the government about the difficulties rising fuel costs were causing. They explained how higher prices were affecting everyday life and businesses.

After discussions, fuel prices began to drop slightly, which brought some relief to many people.

This story reminds us how events happening in other parts of the world can have an impact on life here in Ireland, and how people can work together to find solutions.

⛽🚜🚛🇮🇪💬🌍

By Sarah Parkinson - 6th Class

🏡 Local News Bulletin

Our Amazing RDS Quiz Journey 2026!

On April 19th, Ballyglass National School proudly took part in the RDS National Primary Schools Quiz Final in Dublin, where 58 teams from across Ireland competed.

Our quiz team had an incredible journey to reach the national final. First, they won the local round in Gort, before going on to finish in 2nd place in the Midlands round in Moate. This fantastic achievement secured their place in the national final in the RDS.

Travelling by bus with Labane, our team represented Ballyglass with great confidence, teamwork, and determination. Competing against some of the best quiz teams in the country, they achieved an outstanding 6th place overall out of 58 teams.

A huge congratulations to our brilliant team members:

⭐Sarah Parkinson (6th Class)
⭐Kate Whiriskey (6th Class)
⭐Frank Whelan (5th Class)
⭐Tadhg Duffy (3rd Class)

By Aoife Creaven - 6th Class

👤 Individual Contributions from Ballyglass Students

🐋 Humpback Whale Comeback! 🌊

There has been some amazing news from the ocean! Humpback Whale numbers have made an incredible comeback after nearly becoming extinct many years ago. Today, there are over 80,000 humpback whales swimming in our oceans.

One reason for this is that countries around the world stopped commercial whale hunting in 1986, helping whales stay safe. Humpback whales are also very clever feeders and can eat different kinds of food, which helps them survive in changing oceans.

Scientists say this is one of the greatest wildlife success stories in the world. Although whales still face dangers such as pollution and busy ships, their recovery is fantastic news for our planet.

🐋🌍💙🌊⭐

By Honor Mannion - 6th Class

My Football Team Profile – Manchester United

My favourite football team is Manchester United. They are one of the most famous football teams in the world and play in the top division of English football.

Manchester United were founded in 1878 and were originally called Newton Heath LYR. Their home stadium is Old Trafford, which can hold over 74,000 fans. Their nickname is The Red Devils.

Manchester United have won many trophies over the years, including 20 league titles, 3 Champions Leagues, 13 FA Cups, 6 League Cups, and 21 Community Shields.

One of their greatest ever managers was Sir Alex Ferguson, who led the club to many famous victories.

Their kit is made by Adidas, and their sponsor is Snapdragon.

I love watching Manchester United and learning about their history!

⚽🔴🏆👏⭐

By Alfie Quinlan - 1st Class

⚽ Champions League Roundup! 🏆

Football fans are getting excited for this year’s UEFA Champions League Final, which takes place on May 30th in the Puskás Aréna, a stadium with room for over 67,000 supporters!

This year’s final will see Paris Saint-Germain(PSG) take on Arsenal in what promises to be a thrilling match. The last time these two teams met was in the 2025 semi-final, where PSG won 2–1. Last season, PSG also won the final in style, beating Inter Milan 5–0.

Can PSG win again, or will Arsenal get their revenge? We can't wait to find out!

By James Mannion - 4th Class

Our First Holy Communion Poem

We’re holy humans when Mass is coming,
When time flies, it’s like a butterfly flying.
Our hearts are full of love and joy.

When we receive the Body of Christ,
It feels quite nice.
It is a very special moment.

When we love Jesus Christ,
He makes us nice.
In Jesus Christ’s place, we find His peace.

By Alison Whiriskey, Ava Lee, Aoibheann Keane & Ruairí Creaven - 2nd Class

😂 Joke Corner

1. What happens when a cow grows facial hair?
It grows a moostache! 🐄😄

2. What has legs but cannot walk?
A chair! 🪑😂

3. Why did the chicken go to the cinema?
Because the popcorn was made out of corn! 🐔🍿😆

By Tadhg Bryan - 1st Class

🌟 Fascinating Facts

1. Did you know?
A Crocodile can survive for up to three years without eating! This is because crocodiles use very little energy and can slow down their bodies when food is hard to find. 🐊

2. Amazing History Fact!
The Great Wall of China was partly built using a special mixture that included sticky rice and other building materials. This helped make the wall extra strong, which is one reason parts of it are still standing today! 🏯

3. Prehistoric Fact!
Thousands of years ago, there was a giant animal called the Giant Ground Sloth. Some giant sloths were as tall as elephants and used their huge claws to pull down branches and leaves for food! 🦥🦣

By Daithí Keane - 1st Class

Curricular Corner

Mr. Coen - Easter Rising 1916

History Comes Alive in Mr. Coen's Room!

The students in Mr. Cohen's 5th and 6th Class have been learning all about the Easter Rising and its importance in Irish history.

The class explored what life was like in Ireland in 1916 and learned about the brave men and women who took part in the Rising, including leaders, volunteers, and ordinary citizens who played important roles during this historic time. They also looked back at earlier rebellions in Ireland and discussed how these events helped shape Ireland’s journey towards independence.

To bring their learning to life, the class have been reading The Young Rebels by Morgan Llywelyn. The story has helped the children imagine what life was like during 1916 and has sparked lots of interesting class discussions.

The students have really enjoyed exploring this important part of Irish history.

📚🇮🇪⭐🏛️👏

By all the students in Mr. Coen's Room

Ms. Tannian - Novel Work

Fantastic Novel Work in Ms. Tannian's Class!

Over the past two months, the students in Miss Tanya's 3rd and 4th Class have been busy exploring two wonderful novels by Michael Morpurgo — War Horse and Kensuke's Kingdom.

Through these exciting stories, the children have been learning about friendship, bravery, adventure, and survival. They have taken part in lots of engaging activities including character studies, chapter questions, and plot summaries to help deepen their understanding of the novels.

The class have really enjoyed discussing the stories together and sharing their ideas. It has been wonderful to see their reading, comprehension, and teamwork skills grow along the way.

Well done to everyone in Miss Tanya's class for all of their fantastic work!

📚✏️🌍⭐👏

By all the students in Ms. Tannian's Room

Mrs. Lynskey - Coding

Coding Fun with Scratch Junior!

The students in Mrs. Lynskey's room, from Junior Infants, Senior Infants, and First Class, have been busy exploring coding using Scratch Jr.

Working with a partner, the children designed their own characters, choosing from animals, people, and many other creative ideas. They could make their characters big or small, add colours, create exciting backgrounds and landscapes, and even add speech bubbles with words and names.

The children then learned how to code their characters to move, speak, jump, act, and even travel on buses during their adventures!

While figuring out the coding blocks was sometimes a little tricky, everyone showed great teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving skills. The students really enjoyed bringing their stories and characters to life.

Well done to all the young coders in Mrs. Lynskey's class!

💻🎨🚌🐻⭐👏

By all the students in Mrs. Lynskey's Room

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