Castlecuffe N.S.

This is my brother Ciarn. He likes to help out with the green school committee. We are trying to get the green flag so we can show that we have a tidy school. It is autumn and there are lots of leaves all over the place so my brother volunteered to help. He swept up all the leaves. He likes to help out around the school. He really likes to sweep the leaves up.


Orla & Ciaran

PETS

Pets are animals that keep people company. Pets can make interesting, playful companions. Many people treat their pets as part of the family. The most common pets are dogs, cats, small birds such as parakeets and canaries, and fish. Some people also keep snakes, turtles, and chameleons and other reptiles or small furry animals, such as hamsters, gerbils and guinea pigs. Children who live on farms often have many kids of pets. Besides cats and dogs, many farm children play with lambs, rabbits, duckling, chicks, and even baby pigs. Many children have a pony or a gentle horse to ride. Taking care of a pet is a big job.

Dogs

Dogs were the first animals tamed by people. Dogs of many breeds are trained to assist people in special ways. People who are blind, deaf or who are in a wheelchair can be helped by these dogs to achieve greater independence in their daily lives. There are many different breeds of dogs example, collies, sheepdogs, Labradors and Alsatians, puddles and lots more. Sheep dogs are used by farmers to help round up cattle and sheep. Alsatians are used as guard dogs to protect peoples houses. The Garda also use them to sniff out drugs. Most other dogs are pets.

By Orla

A VEGETABLE GARDEN

Our school decided to make a vegetable garden. We got lots of help from the parents. We used old wood for the sides and for the bottom we used cardboard to keep down the weeds. When we were finished the garden bed we put lots of soil in the bed and Miss brought in some rotted compost. When it came to winter we left the bed so that the worms could work on it. In the Spring we planted some vegetables.

We planted carrots, potatoes, runner beans, peas, beans, corn, wheat, barley, oats and lots more. Declan put up a scarecrow to scare away the crows.
In the autumn we gathered our crops and brought them home and ate them.
By Eimear and Orla

OUR COMPOSTER

We asked the Environment section of Laois County Council for a free compost bin. Ms Anne Marie brought one to us. We put it in the corner of our woodland so that we could reach it from outside the fence. The Blakes asked the people in Blooms restaurant for old mayonnaise plastic buckets. We put one in each classroom and one in the staff room. There are lots of teabags in the staff room. The buckets have lids so that they dont get smelly.
We can put our pencil parings, orange skins, apple cores and banana skins in the plastic bucket. Then every Wednesday and Friday someone empties the bucket into the composter. We also put some leaves, some grass and some waste paper into the composter. We learned about composting creatures and did some worksheets about them . They work in the dark and change our rubbish into good compost for the garden. Next year Miss wont have to bring any from home because we will have lots of our own and we will great fruit and vegetables.

By Emma, Eimear and Rebecca