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Welcome back everyone and wasn’t the weather at the weekend just simply amazing! I hope you all had your sun cream on and enjoyed being outdoors as much as possible! The one thing, during all of this, that we can’t complain about has to be the weather.

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By now, you should all have received an email from school on Friday, outlining a change to our work plans for the remainder of the school year. We hope this works for both you and your children and as always are receptive and invite any feedback that you may have to principal@piercestownns.com

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For all of you budding writers/readers out there, J.K. Rowling surprised fans with the announcement of a brand new children’s book which she is publishing in daily instalments on her website for free. If you haven’t heard about this and are looking for some additional reading material, it is definitely worth checking out.

The Illustration Competition:

As well as treating us to her literary prowess, J.K. Rowling has also opened up a competition for an budding illustrators. Here is what J.K. Rowling has to say:

Having decided to publish, I thought how wonderful it would be if children in lockdown, or otherwise needing distraction during the strange and difficult time we’re passing through, illustrated the story for me. There will be suggestions about the illustrations we might need for each chapter on The Ickabog website, but nobody should feel constrained by these ideas. I want to see imaginations run wild! Creativity, inventiveness and effort are the most important things: we aren’t necessarily looking for the most technical skill!

In November 2020, The Ickabog will be published in English in print, eBook and audiobook formats, shortly followed by other languages. The best drawings in each territory will be included in the finished books. As publishers in each territory will need to decide which pictures work best for their own editions, I won’t be personally judging the entries. However, if parents and guardians post their children’s drawing on Twitter using the hashtag #TheIckabog, I’ll be able to share and comment!  To find out more about the Illustration Competition, go to The Ickabog website.

So whether, just for reading or for the competiton, why not go to

for reading: https://www.theickabog.com/read-the-story/

for the competition: https://www.theickabog.com/competition/

And following on with the theme of good weather, here are some ‘Garden Activities’ for all age groups.

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Please see below a selection of gardening activities. Your child may enjoy doing a few of these.

Garden Hunt

• Go on a mini-beast/ animal hunt!  Bring some paper, a pencil, rubber and crayons.  Remember to be very careful and gentle as we don’t want you or the insects to be injured.  Here are some things you can try;
• Place a bright towel or sheet under a bush/tree/plant and shake gently.  Examine what insects fall onto the sheet.
• Carefully move rocks / flowerpots etc and see what is living underneath.
• Sit still near a tree or bushes and watch for birds
• For an extra challenge you can try to find an insect/ animal;

in the earth / under a flower pot or rock / in or around water/ in or near a tree / in or near a flower / flying in the air / with 4 legs / more than 4 legs / that is black / that is colourful / that is slow / that is fast / that is slimy / that is furry / that is tiny / that is bigger than your nail

• As you find mini-beasts/animals write their name and draw a quick sketch or take a picture.  Write some describing words beside the picture for later.  Remember to use descriptions such as colour / number / size and  texture.  Take note of their habitat (where they live).
• Once you have finished your minibeast hunt choose your favourite insect and write or video a report using the descriptive words you thought of.  Younger classes can draw a picture of their favourite minibeast and video or write the descriptive words or a few simple descriptive sentences.  If you prefer you could write a story about your favourite insect.

Here are a few links to some resources;

• Photograph Powerpoint: https://www.twinkl.ie/resource/t2-s-1165-insects-photo-powerpoint
• Video Powerpoint: https://www.twinkl.ie/resource/t-t-5144-minibeasts-videos-powerpoint
• Minibeast description game cards: https://www.twinkl.ie/resource/t-t-19367-minibeast-description-cards
• What Am I game? https://www.twinkl.ie/resource/t-t-5145-minibeasts-what-am-i-interactive-powerpoint-game
• Simple Habitat worksheet: https://www.twinkl.ie/resource/t-t-5109-minibeasts-and-their-habitats-worksheet
• Minibeast hunt checklist: https://www.twinkl.ie/resource/T-T-019-Minibeast-hunt-sheet
• Older Classes: https://www.twinkl.ie/resource/t2-s-1169-insect-information-cards

Identifying trees

• Pupils can identify trees in their garden or local environment by observing the different features, branches and or leaves.
• Look at the leaf and twig identification keys that are linked below.
• https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2020/03/tree-id-kids/

• Children can take rubbings of leaves they find using a crayon and label them.

Make a bird feeder

• Children can make a simple bird feeder. See instructions below.

Decorate your own tree

• http://628202242a032dff9975-8a88a36bd5b80e36c3634e14eb705770.r12.cf1.rackcdn.com/TREE-DECORATION.jpg

As always boy and girls, if you have any images you wish to share, please do not hesitate to send them in to principal@piercestownns.com

And remember, this Friday is ‘Art Friday’!

Keep up the great work. Kind regards, Ms. Walsh 🙂