Pupils are keeping busy as bees in Ballymitty

TEACHERS and pupils at Ballymitty national school are making brilliant use of a new website set up just before the Covid-19 lockdown.

‘It came as a shock to everyone when the schools closed but luckily we had a new website www.ballymittyns.ie up and running in time,’ said principal Audrey McCarthy.

‘It was set up by a company called Bottletop Media with the product name iClass and it’s very easy to access and – more importantly – easy to update. The staff quickly got to terms with how to add news and articles.’

Every Monday all the teachers put up a personal video for each class and a weekly plan is uploaded onto the website. The teachers have shared moments from their lives, including memories, songs, stories and recipes with the videos made in their homes. The principal also posts a weekly video message for the families from the school which incorporates the autism unit An Choill Bheag.

‘The staff decided that the personal touch would keep kids connected and there has been great feedback from the parents on how important the weekly videos are to the pupils,’ said Audrey.

‘Parents were asked for feedback in a recent school survey and reported that many kids look forward to the Monday morning videos, with one girl asking her Mam on a Sunday evening if the videos are in yet.’

Each week, the children are asked to share homework, written work, art and science, etc., with their teachers on the teacher’s email address, and lots of work has come flooding in. One pupil, Scott Doran in Junior Infants, sent a lovely message to teacher Rachel Butler who finished teaching before Easter to go on maternity leave. Ms Deirdre Franey in Senior Infants made a video in her own kitchen creating delicious smoothies.

First and second classes have been creative at home during the lockdown, learning about Africa and making African masks from toilet rolls. Third and fourth classes have been busy learning about outer space in recent weeks and creating space-themed artwork.

Ms O’ Grady’s fifth class learned about Martin Luther King and created an ‘I have a dream’ poster, illustrating his dreams and their own hopes and dreams for the future, as well as competing against each other in a Martin Luther King quiz online. Sixth class pupils have been sketching spring daffodils and reading the award-winning WWI novel ‘Private Peaceful’ by Michael Morpurgo.

Special education teachers Tríona Bohanna and Denise Fitzharris have set up supports, videos and weblinks to help pupils with reading and maths.

Con French opening a package from his teachers.

First and second-class students have been learning all about Africa and making African-themed masks from toilet rolls and paper.

Fifth Class learned all about Martin Luther King and created a ‘I have a dream’ poster.

Some of the space-themed work by third and fourth class pupils.

Darren Diskin’s space-themed cookies.

Innovating in the garden.

Deirdre Franey from senior infants created a video in her own kitchen while making smoothies.

Ben O’Neill cycling his bike at home.

Tommy Harpur opening a postcard.

Pupils putting their culinary skills to good use.

Students get creative in the kitchen.

Sixth-class students have been reading the above book, as well as drawing daffodils (below).