Best Christmas Ever by William Mc Carthy

One cold Christmas morning… I heard something on the roof climbing down the chimney I snuck down the stairs I saw some fat fella in a bright red suit with a red hat and a white ball at the end. It was Santa Clause! He was putting two YZ 85 scramblers under the Christmas tree with the rest of my presents. He ate all the delicious Christmas cookies and drank an ice cold glass of Avonmore milk.  He took the orange carrot off the plate and he put in his pocket for Rudolph his reindeer with the very shiny nose . I ran up- stairs to wake my brother up. When he woke up, the two of us ran down stairs to see if he was still there. He was gone. The two of us took off our pj’s and put on some old clothes. Then we went back down stairs and opened the big front door very quietly then wheeled out our YZ 85s. The two YZ 85s started first kick!. The two of us went all over to look for Santa Cause. We looked up at the dark sky. There he was on his way back to the North pole. So then we knocked for my friend. My friend opened the door he was ready to come out on his KX 65. Just then he asked me for a race from Sheriffer up to the Sunset. I said yeah. He was winning at the start but when I got on a straight road my YZ 85 left him for dust. It was the best Christmas Ever.  

We are doing a project on the Rosie Hackett Bridge. We are going to be displaying our project in the BT Young Scientist Exhibition in the RDS on the 9th of January. Seán Harrington, the architect who designed the bridge came in to speak to us this morning.

We sat around a big table. We had lots of questions for him which he answered and explained through drawings. He told us how the bridge was going to support the Luas and about it’s design. We don’t want to tell you about that now though, because it will ruin the surprise of our project!

Seán was really helpful. He gave us lots of ideas for our project. He was really interesting and it was a very different morning for us! He told us a funny story about why he wanted to be an architect and I think its given some of us ideas about being an architect or a designer when we're older.

1913 Lockout by Josh Doran

James Larkin was involved in the 1913 lockout. He organised the strikes and set up unions. Workers went on strike because they were working for too long and they were not getting paid enough. 20,000 people went on strike. Factory owners brought in scabs to take their jobs. On the forth of December 2013,sixth class in St Laurence O’Tooles C.B.S went down to Merchant Road. We went down because it was the one hundred year anniversary of people being evicted from their homes. When we were there we saw a mural painted from a photograph that was taken that day. The artist was there and he told us about the mural. Joe from the East Wall History Society gave us the talk. Only two families from the road were not evicted because they were too sick. They were later evicted in the new year.

An Cuisneoir Mór

Lá Amháin , chuáigh mé go dtí an cuisneoir. D’fheach mé sa cuisneoir. Chonaic mé glasraí, uachtar reoite agus feoil. D’fheach se go hiontach. Dith mé glasrai, feoil agus uachtar reoite. Dol mé uisce agus ith mé uachtar reoite. Bhí mé lon.

Leon Grant

6th Class learn to Rap!!

Our Dublin history Walk

An Cluiche Mór

Here is a video of our 'End of Year' memories - there are photographs from our science experiments, sports activities, our 'Localise' project, classroom and Confirmation and yep, our trip to the Aran Islands - all good times and great memories. We're gonna miss our days as Larrier legends (and of course our 'ham sandwich' of a teacher!!)

The Class of 2013!

Our 'Localise' Project

Over the last couple of weeks we have been working with 'Localise' and volunteers from PWC. This is a project that runs over a couple of weeks and we decide to work with Localise and the volunteers from PWC to help somebody or some service in the community.
In other years our school has helped the Simon Community, Cystic Fibrosis Ireland and Temple Street Hospital. This year we decided to help the elderly in our community by helping raise money for the Lourdes Day Care Centre.
To see what the Day Care Centre needed we went on a visit to chat to the people who use the centre. We heard lots of stories from the great people in Lourdes Day Care Centre about school in their time, the games theyused to play and how the area has changed from they were young. It was a great day.
In the end we decided to raise money to provide new facilities in the centre. So next week we are going to host a day of MEGA-BINGO in the PWC offices with raffles, prizes and ultimate Bingo!
We hope you enjoy our video of our visit to the centre.

By Scott and Kian.

Why Our School Should Abolish Homework!

Imagine that all the schools in Ireland didn’t give any homework! We'd be able to do more sports, help people in our community and learn more skills. I think our teacher should stop giving us homework.
Firstly, I believe we should not get homework because we could become fitter with the extra time that we would have. We could be healthier and I’d have more time to cook healthy meals.
Secondly, in my opinion we should not get homework because with our extra time we could be helping the old folks with their shopping and go to the curry shop for chips for them. Time that is spent doing homework could be used to help the old people in our community.
Thirdly, I strongly suggest I don’t think we should get any homework because no homework would allow me to go up town with my ma and help her with the different jobs she has to do. I could be more helpful around the house if I had less homework to do.
Furthermore I don’t think we should get any homework because we could be in our club playing games instead of sitting down doing homework. Playing games is also important because we can learn skills that are as important as homework.
In conclusion, the best reason not to give homework is we can have an argument with Mark and Mr. O’Leary about no homework and we can just play out instead of doing any homework!!

By Josh Mangan

Why School Management Should Allow More 'Break-Time'

Imagine a school were sport was just as important as our subjects in the classroom. This would mean that when we have our break time it will be a lot longer and a lot more valuable to all of us in the school.

Firstly I believe we should be have more break time because sport is as important as learning, we can get fitter which will help us learn better. When we are on yard we should be able to enjoy football a little bit more. And as the saying goes, a fit body is a fit mind.
Secondly in my opinion we should be allowed more break time because there would be a bit more freedom for us and all the younger kids in the school. This would make school more enjoyable and encourage learning.
Thirdly, I strongly suggest break time should be longer because we spend enough time inside and not enough minutes outside. We spend 4 hours 35 minutes inside and only 40 minutes outside. This should be increased to improve our health. Furthermore, when you are out on yard, you don’t have to panic about scoring goals, you would have lots of time before you have to go back in.
In summary, I believe we should have more break time because it will allow more sports, more freedom and more time in the fresh air and we would get fitter. These are healthier options than staying inside.

By Scott Hunt

Why We Should All Have a Pet Dog

One day I was walking home from Subway with a six inch ham and cheese toasty when suddenly seven people mugged m!. They took my money and roll. Then I saw something out of the corner of my eye. It jumped on one of the men and bit him and scared of the rest. It was a dog that saved me that day and I have wanted one ever since.Firstly, I believe everyone should have a dog because if all your friends are staying in you could play with it. A dog will offer company and friendship.
Secondly, in my opinion it could give you protection and make you feel safer. A dog can offer you protection and will certainly help you if you are in danger. Dogs are very loyal.
Thirdly, if you had a dog you could go jogging with it to keep you company and to get fit. Again a dog would be a great friend when you are getting fit.In addition I think that it will give you a sense of responsibility because you have to feed it and give it water and get it needles.
In summary, my points are that having a dog would keep you company and fit. It would make you feel safer and would give you a sense of responsibility.

by Conor Darcy

Why Our School Should Have a Cafeteria

Imagine a school where you could smell fresh, hot and tasty food - in a school cafeteria, where food is healthy and fresh. At lunch you could go to the cafeteria and get a burger or a pizza. You could even get healthy food!
Firstly, I believe why we should have a school cafeteria is we would have free food if you forget your money. This would save time making lunch at home, leaving more time for study.
Secondly, in my opinion why we should have a school cafeteria is at the moment we have cold food, we would have hot food and the food would be tastier and healthier. This would improve our health and we would miss fewer days than through illness.Thirdly, I strongly suggest why we should have a school cafeteria is instead of buying an unhealthy lunch in Centra or something you could instead get a healthy lunch in school. Again, if we are eating healthy we are less likely to be ill and miss school.
Furthermore, why we should have a school cafeteria is we should be eating healthy lunch, then we would be fit but if we are eating unhealthy we would be fat.
In summary, I believe we should have a cafeteria because we would have free food, healthier food, we would be fitter and likely to miss less days from illness.

By David Dykas

Strange Sounds!

Today in class we did two experiemnts exploring vibrations and sound. One was 'feeling' sound. We blew up balloons and held them next to our friends' ear. When we spoke through the balloon the sound was louder and really clear.
For the next experiment we put clingfilm over a plastic box and pulled the clingfilm really tight. Then we put uncooked rice on the clingfilm. After that we placed the plastic next to the speaker of a music stereo. When we played the music, the vibrations made the rice hop and dance - the rice can dance better than most of the lads in my class!!

By J-Dizzle D-Money

Let's Build a Rocket Boys!

We did some great science stuff and experiments this afternoon. We learned that when water or different liquids are added to vitamin c tablets, carbon dioxide is released. The pressure of the carbon dioxide builds up inside the canister until it blows the lid off the canister. If we put the canister upside down, on the lid, then it will shoot into the air like a rocket!!

By John and Cameron

Creating with Clay

Trying on new size 12 Nikes! How can I miss with these?!



New pair of Nike T-90s! 'Feet of Clay'? Never!

Guess who? An improvement on the original?!!

Check out our our clay creations - full size football boots and face masks - Donatello, Rodin and Michelangelo ain't got nothin' on our sculptures and clay creations!

By JD Dizzle and L-Money!

Across the Divide

This week we all wrote a verse about each event in the novel 'Across the Divide'. See if you can work out who wrote each verse!

Across the Divide
(by James, Josh, Cian, Scott R., Leon, Kian, Jonathan, Pierce, Scott H., Lee, Cameron, Barry, John and David.

This is a story about two young lives,

And all the events they must survive,

It all starts with Larkin, a speech and Sackville Street,

And how Liam’s head and a baton meet.

Liam and Nora meet at a féis and Nora lost her music sheet,

Nora was sure competition would end in her defeat,

But Liam said do you want one of mine,

As a friend he said, ‘really it’s fine’.

Next of all Br. Raymond formed a choir,

Liam and Nora joined, music their desire,

They wanted to be the very best,

To be better than all the rest.

Then to Jim Larkin’s speech out in Skerries,

An O’ Meara picnic, with sandwiches and berries,

Larkin’s speech was really just great,

All the men then decided, striking was their fate.

And so all the workers got locked out,

While the Peelers and DMP lurked about,

Soon families started to starve,

Thankfully ‘The Hare’ and other food ships arrived.

These ships had food for the poor,

Liam and Nora carried it from door to door,

It wasn’t needed for the very wealthy,

But instead to keep the poor people healthy.

Next of all Liam hops the train to Ballincargy,

When the conductor caught him, he knew there’d be bargy,

So he jumped to the icy bank,

Now in the middle of nowhere, his heart just sank.

Luckily, he found a nice barge,

And men who gave him a bed without charge,

Soon he was on the road again,

Nora passed by and Liam shouted ‘Amen’.

Then they got to Aunt Molly’s

When their mood became more jolly,

Liam’s aunt gave food and money,

The food was truly yummy.

They travelled back to Dublin, sneaking back on the train,

Would they be caught, every nerve would strain,

Soon they got back and through the station,

Delivering the food to Liam’s family with true elation.

And that’s all of this book about two great friends,

We all think Liam and Nora are real legends,

You really should read this great book,

Or I’ll come swinging, and you better duck!

Influences on Our Choice of Subjects in Secondary School

 

Recently we completed our research project, which we presented in the NCI. Our project is about the choice of subjects that you can do in secondary school.

The first thing we did was ask what subjects are  in the different schools in our area.
The second thing we did was ask what subjects do you need for different careers.
The third thing we did was create a questionnaire about what influences our choice in subjects.

In this we asked

a) Have I thought about my subjects for next year?

b) Will I discuss my subject choices with my parents?

c)  Is it important what subjects my friends pick?

d) Do the subjects in the school influence my choice of school?

e) Is it my parents responsibility to choose my subjects?

Every boy in the class, all 18 of us,  completed the questionnaire and our teacher counted the answers (on the Likert Scale).
We then represented our answers on a bar chart and pie charts using EXCEL. It shows how we answered each question and what we feel about the importance of subjects next year in secondary school.

By Johnathan, John and Ben

Studying Mid-Term Break

During the last two weeks, we have studied Mid-Term Break by Seamus Heaney (Winner of 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature!). It is a very moving poem, highlighted by reading the title initially and contrasting this with the final lines of the poem.
Here are some of Larriers' thoughts on the poem - hope you enjoy our art work too

‘In the porch I met my father crying, he had always taken funerals in his stride’

I like this line because it shows that his father is moved by this funeral and shows that he feels sadder than at other funerals – Cameron

The baby cooed and rocked the pram . . . wearing a poppy bruise on his left temple’

I like these lines because the first lines are playful but then I feel so touched when I read about the poppy bruise – Ade

No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear, a four foot box, a foot for every year’
I like these lines because they make me really understand this poem and how sad it was - Conor

Next morning I went up into the room, Snowdrops and candles soothed the bedside. I saw him for the first time in six weeks, paler now
I like these lines because I think these remind me of my Grandad's funeral and I can picture it. - Scott R.

No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear, A four foot box,, a foot for every year
I like these lines because they are the most sad and they really get to you and help you understand this sadness. - Cian J.

It is a very moving poem and my favourite lines in the poem are 'I sat all morning in the college sick bay' and 'A four foot box, a foot for every year'I like these lines because it gives you an image of how the story starts and ends - Kian McDonagh

No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear, a four foot box, a foot for every year
I like these lines because they are very graphic and it's easy to imagine these lines. - Jonathan