Blackrock NS pupils learn about the appliance of Science
SENIOR pupils from fourth, fifth and sixth classes in Saint Oliver Plunkett School in Blackrock visited DKIT for Science Week to learn about Cell Explorers and Fantastic DNA.
The boys and girls had a brilliant day and enjoyed all the experiments.
The College staff was extremely helpful and the school is especially grateful to Suzanne De Lasa for all her help.
The children in first class and senior infants also had a very interesting day when Suzanne and her team from DKIT came into the school and showed the children Little Cells. This proved very exciting for the children and teachers.
The different activities the school got up in the course of Science Week included:
Testing how many germs are on people’s hands by creating an experiment that showed how much quicker bread rots when it’s fallen on the ground for five seconds or if it’s touched by multiple people; Building a robot using a Vex Robotics Kit. The pupils are now in the process of programming it to have sensors and operate independently; Tested surface tension and density by making lava lamps in class, using cooking oil and water and food colouring. Dropping a Seltzer tablet into the mixture creates a lava lamp; Demonstrated and experimented with how space shuttles work by simulating their problems with propulsion using a bottle and string powered by a balloon.
The week also involved organised trips to Dundalk library as well as DKIT.
DKIT had different programmes for all age groups and pupils were lucky enough to see the ones about DNA and Pollination as well as a sports science one.
The children were able to extract the DNA from a banana and look at it.
In the Library the children learned how to code using Scratch and other programs and used this to make robots.
The week was used also by a member of the teaching staff to raise funds for Muscular Dystrophy and succeeded with the co-operation of the school community in raising a sum of €670.
PadrePiotriduum
The local Padre Pio Group is holding their annual triduum in honour of Saint Pio this week.
The triduum starts tonight (Mon) and runs the following two nights in Saint Oliver Plunkett Church with Mass each night at 7.30pm.
The Rosary will be recited at 7.10pm. Anointing and blessing of the sick will take place on Tuesday night. There will be Benediction on the concluding night.
There will be an opportunity each night to be blessed with the relict of Saint Pio after Mass.
Glasses
The Dundalk Lions club would welcome the donation of any unused prescription glasses and sun glasses.
The club plan to re-cycle the glasses and help save the sight of people in the developing world.
The glasses can be donated to any member of the Lions Club or dropped into BHK Credit Union offices on Main Street.
Parishexpenditure
The annual parish accounts shows that over €250, 000 was spent on the parish churches and parochial houses in the 12 month period between April last year and the end of March this year.
The sum of €193,000 was expended on the churches, and €73,900 on the two parochial houses.
The sum outstanding on the parish loan parish for the renovation of Saint Fursey’s Church stood at €1.3m at the end of March. The work to the church was carried out over 2007/8.
Noel’slatestbook
Local author and poet Noel Sharkey has completed another book of poetry to add to his growing collection of written material intended to help his favourite chosen charity.
Noel’s history and poetry books to date have generated nearly €23,500 for The Birches Alzheimer Day Centre, plus €6,500 towards defraying the cost of the refurbishments of both Saint Fursey’s and Saint Oliver Plunkett churches.
The proceeds from his latest poetry venture entitled “A Lover’s Tale” will be also donated to the Birches Day Care Centre. Copies, price E5, are on sale in the local Centra Store on Main Street, Pat Flanagan’s Mace store on Dublin Road and Roe River Books, Park Street in Dundalk.
ChristmasCarols
The parish church choirs are to join up to provide a musical treat for Christmas. The choirs are to combine to perform “The 12 Carols of Christmas.”
Saint Oliver Plunkett Church will be the venue for the event on Sunday, December 15, running between 5pm and 6pm. A warm invitation is extended by the Parish Pastoral Council for those who would like to hear the music and singing that will put them in the right festive mood for Christmas.
Gerslottery
The jackpot now is worth €12,000 in the Geraldines lottery with no winner this week.
The numbers drawn were: 7, 20, 25 and 28. Two players selected three of the numbers to share the €200 prize.