The Manor Mail October 2020
Contents: A Special Open Evening 2020 Halloween Recipe Digital Captains Home Learning Day Spooky Smiles A Message to the future Traditional Halloween Brack Class and Deputy Captains 2020 A Halloween Short Story Promoting Cycling Seasonal Word Search Covid Changes Gold Slips
ONLINE OPEN EVENING This year, because of Corona Virus, Manor House was not able to have the usual open evening. As the school felt it is important for 6th class to get a feel for their new school it was decided to come up with a new approach. We had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. G. Kelly about the Online Open Evening. Was it difficult to set up? Yes there was a lot involved but there was a lot of people to helped out as well. How long did it take to set up? 2 weeks, 1st week was gathering information and the 2nd week was putting it all together. Who else was involved? Ms Grace played a big part in it along with all the other teachers a former 6th year student from last year Aoife Bullock helped too, Aoife Bullock did the computer work ,all the editing and techs work. How long did it go on for? It went on for 33 mins just to give a flavour of all the areas of the school.
Was it easy or hard to set up? There was a lot involved and a lot of hard work but it was worth it in the end. How many people were at the opening evening video? Around 850 people have seen it. How did people find the link to the opening evening? People can find it on Manor House YouTube channel and it’s the first one up there.
https://youtu.be/MGg-fdkpoLY
Have a look and see can you spot any 2nd years!
Thank you to Ms. Kelly for the interview and congratulations to all involved it was a great idea and a great success. By Yasmin Greer and Summer Sweeney
Eyeball Cake Pops By Niamh Bell and Amelia Roden
Ingredients: •100g Madeira Cake •100g Oreos •100g bar milk chocolate •200g bar white chocolate • Few smarties and icing pens, to decorate •10 wooden skewers
STEP 1
Break the Madeira cake and cookies into the bowl of a food processor, pour in the melted milk chocolate and whizz to combine.
STEP 2 Tip the mixture into a bowl, then use your hands to roll into about 10 walnut-sized balls. Chill for 2 hrs until really firm.
STEP 3 Push a skewer into each ball, then carefully spoon the white chocolate over the cake balls to completely cover. Stand the cake pops in the pumpkin, then press a Smartie onto the surface while wet. Chill again until the chocolate has set. Before serving, using the icing pens, add a pupil to each Smartie and wiggly red veins to the eyeballs.
Digital Captains What are the digital captains and what do they do? The digital captains are a collection of students who during their lunch Break meet up and discuss the digital running of our school. To identify themselves they wear a pink badge. Their goal is to be able to help students and teachers alike with any technical difficulties they may be experiencing. They try to have and share videos that explain how to use certain technology that may be used in school. For example how to use certain apps. Due to Covid 19 there have been a lot of changes in our school. There is a lot more technology is being used in school, for homework or tests etc., and some girls may be using e-books. Some of this we wouldn’t necessarily have done last year but it is now very important we know how to use this technology. We Interviewed Ms Dunwoody with some questions about the Digital Captains and here is our interview. What are the digital captains? The digital captains are a group of girls who volunteer to help people with Technology and who are interested in developing their own digital skills. What are your hopes for the digital captains? My hope for the digital captains is that students can go to the digital captains with issues about technology and the digital captains can help them. Digital captains can also be a support to teachers in the classroom if needed.
Who organized the digital captains? Well, many students had digital skills which could benefit the whole school community and I discussed the idea of Digital Captains with Ms. O’Neill and Ms Fields and they thought it would be a good idea The Digital Captains for 2nd year are; Swati Upadhyay, Rachel Phillips, Trudi Hogan, Layla Connolly, Maia Wisely, Amy McMenemy, Lucy Cummins.
Thank You to Ms. Dunwoody for your time in discussing this with us.
Written by Layla Connolly and Trudi Hogan
2nd Year Online School Day We are going to tell you about the 2nd year online school day. The online school was on Wednesday 14th of October 2020. All of the lessons were on Microsoft teams and were set up by the teachers. We had six classes altogether because it was our Wednesday timetable. We started our online day at 8:50am and finished at 1:00pm. The classes all went well but there were some connection issues.
It wasn’t perfect but it was a good experience and there were other positives to the day. We all got to wear our own clothes. It was nice to not have to wear a mask. The most important thing however is that if there ever is a time where we were out of school in the future we are prepared and this would be a great way to keep up with classes and work. By Anna Cotter and Farrah Connolly.
HALLOWEEN JOKES
What do birds say on Halloween? Trick or tweet! Where do ghost buy their Halloween candy? At the ghost-ery store!
What makes trick or treating with twin witches so challenging? You never know which witch is which!
What does Bigfoot say when he asks for candy? Trick-or-feet! Who did Frankenstein go trick or treating with? His ghoul-friend!
What Halloween candy is never on time for the party? Choco-late!
What do witches put on to go trick or treating? Mas-scare-a! Why don’t skeletons ever go trick or treating? Because they have no-body to go with!
What do ghosts give out to trick or treaters? Booberries?
By: Emma Hughes and Keeva Matthews.
Time capsules
We talked with Ms.Guinan about our timecapsules;
Who came up with the idea?
I thought it would be a nice idea and decided to try with another year I was year head to. The six years in secondary school go so fast and you will change so much so it would be a nice thing to remember the 'first-year you' when you are young adults heading out into the world. You are the second group I will do it with... you can let me know if it was a good idea in 2025!
Are there any funny stories from previous years?
There was one girl who had just written her pet name/nick name on the outside. When we got to 6th year she had forgotten she was ever called that and thought her envelope was lost. Most of the fun and laughs came from looking at photographs of themselves and their friends from 1st year. One particular student had moved to Australia with her family at end of 3rd year. She sent a request to a friend she was still in contact with to get her time capsule, and her fond memories of 1st year in Manor House, and she opened it in Australia.
What was the strangest thing somebody put in the time capsule? The funniest thing I thought was a detention notice from 1st . I asked why the student would want to remember that and she said after that detention she promised herself, and me, that she would never be in detention again... and she never was! The thing about the time capsules are that they are personal and unique for each student. It is what you consider important and what you would like to remember. Normally we would do this at end of 1st year but obviously that was not possible last year hence why we are doing it now.
We will close the box this week and when we open it again you will be graduating in your navy jumpers‌Imagine that! By Demi Moran and Leah Flynn
See you in the year 2025!
Barín Breac Recipe Barmbrack (or barín breac) is a bread that is associated with Halloween in Ireland. One 900g loaf:
225g plain flour
2 tsps of baking powder
375g packet of fruit mix
250ml cold tea
125g light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp of mixed spice
A ring to place inside 1. Place the fruit mix in a bowl and pour over the cold tea. Allow to soak up the liquid overnight. 2. Preheat the oven to 170c/340°/Gas Mark 3, and grease and line a 900g loaf tin. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and mixed spice in a mixing bowl. Make a well and break in the egg, and using a wooden spoon mix the egg with the dry ingredients. Add a little bit of the liquid the fruit mix is sitting in and mix it through. You may not need all the liquid – you are looking for a wet dough. Then stir through the fruit mix until everything is thoroughly combined. 3. Add in the ring – and any of the other traditional symbols of a pea, a piece of cloth, a matchstick and a coin – and stir through. Spoon the wet dough into the lined loaf tin and place in the oven on the middle shelf and bake for one hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before removing from the loaf tin and placing on wire rack. 4. Cover in cling wrap and tin foil and allow to sit for one to two days before cutting into it. Serve in slices spread with a little butter. By Róise Ní Laoire and Heather Small
Class Captains and Deputy Captains 2020-2021
The Last Night (Short Story) A tall man, disguised in black, emerged from the kitchen, an axe in hand, dragging it along the floor, leaving a trail of blood. The girl was frozen in fear. With each step he took, the girl got closer to her worst nightmare.
One Hour Prior… “I heard he lives here.” “Who?” “That psycho that has been all over the news, I heard he’s on his search of his victim for his 96th kill!” “Let’s call his name, see if he’s out there?” “Wha- no way! Guys can we just stop?” “Scared are you Potter?” Reddened in the face replying sharply “Oh of course not, it’s not like he is a demon and by just calling his name he will summon here.” “Yeah right Rose!” Messing around the group of friends were having a sleepover in Rose’s mansion, not knowing what fate would serve to them. In the black, gloomy, hypnotizing night with a slight chill in the air, the wide-awake owls hooting, sending a warning to those who can hear…the girls lay unaware of the fact they are home alone. “Ugh, you guys are pathetic! I’m outta here, after all of that nonsense I need a cup of warm delicious hot chocolate”, she shouted excitedly over those who were still teasing her. “Get us some too please. Unless you’re too scared to stand all alone in the kitchen? No one to help if something goes wrong?” Katherine shouted frivolously
“AAHAHAAHA” laughed the girls “Oh God, someone help, I’m so scared!!!” she sneered back, making a face. On her way to the Kitchen she hears a sudden thud. She stops. “Huh, now that, now that was weird!”
“Mmm-om” she stutters “Where are you?” Silence is all she gets as a reply. “MOM?” she shrieks louder this time; however, it did not take her long to realise. “GUY’S YOU ARE SO DEAD!!!!!” “AHAHAHAHA” “Your face was just white as a snow “ “Yeah? Maybe because you guys scared the hell outa me!” She whispered still trying to get her nerve back “Seriously I wonder where mom is gone, she never leaves without telling me?” “Don’t worry, she probably just something important to do so she left in a haste”, Elena said reassuringly. “Yeah maybe”, she nodded but was not completely convinced. “Oh no, I left my phone! Elena can you come with me to get it?” Katherine asked worried “Are you the scared one now?” Rose asked in a mocking manner. “Oh, come on, ‘me’ equals to ‘never scared’”, Katherine answered back with a smirk on her face. “Fine, yes I will come” replied Elena but still smiling.
Present Hour Gazing in her fridge trying to find the milk cartoon she hears a loud continuous screeching noise; she turns and screams so loudly her voice fills the room. Petrified see’s the trail of blood and a heavy sharp axe scratching a perfect straight line on the glazed marble floor of the kitchen, as if it knew where it had to go, no one even had to instruct it what to do, it had only one goal to be, directly at her. As the person with no shape and no figure of a body turns his head side to side, his muscles relaxing and contracting, he grabs Rose of by the collars of her shirt and hauls her towards the window. “AAAA-pl-ple-please don’t do this please-AAAAAAAAAAA, Elena, Kath-KatheriAAA SOMEONE HELPP” “Isn’t that a pity no one can help this little girl” he sneered And with that he swung his axe back and drove it through the girl’s body, crashing into the window she falls outside, into the swimming pool. CLASSTHUDSHHH “OMG what was that noise?” “Yeah?” They ran over and to their great dismal they saw the window glass in pieces shattered on the ground, and most of all the swimming pool RED! “AAAAAAAA” squealed Elena “OH GOD” murmured Katherine with a terrified expression. “What just happened” Elena asked worryingly. “WAIT a minute where is Rose?” questioned Katherine cautiously, with her eyes darting here and there. “Katherine, I think I see something in the pool -it’s -a -I think umm-OH NO, IT’S ROSE!!!”
Horrified they jumped in and hauled Rose out. After trying out all the methods they knew to save Rose they found out she was dead. Bawling they realized that the murderer must still be around and as Katherine stayed, Elena went and searched the whole house up and down and inside-out, having no fear only feeling rage for the death of her best friend, but still with no luck finds no one. DING DONG “Who could that be now” said Elena. “Wh-o is it?” asked Katherine bravely, controlling her voice so as not to cry. “Is everything ok? It's Police, open up!” The police had arrived which the neighbours had called after hearing the screaming of Rose. Doing the investigation they realized all of Rose’s family, her brother and her mam and dad weren’t found, they had somehow disappeared. Next day on the news it showed up the unknown psychopath had completed his 100th murder.
By: Swati Upadhyay, Ciara Ponsonby, Brooke Robertson, Zaira Moreno
On Your Bike! Cycling to School October Promotion This month students who cycled to school would have the chance to get a JD sports voucher and many other gifts. It is a great way to promote and motivate students to cycle. This was organised by Ms. S. Johnston. It is hoped to reduce the number of people who come to school in buses, trains, The Dart and cars which, as we know play a major role in the amount of carbon emissions. We all need to try and keep our carbon emission low because of the greenhouse effect. We should be using all our resources sustainably. Reducing the traffic each morning means less of petrol or diesel is burnt, therefore we help in keeping our environment safe. The cycle to school campaign is also very helpful looking from the perspective of stopping covid-19. It is an alternative for students who use public transport and hence decreases the chances of those students getting infected. As well as that, by cycling to school our own general health greatly enhanced. The World Health Organisation statistics show we could be the Europe's fattest country by 2030. It is not only obesity; lack of physical exercise can lead to many other diseases and organ failure such as heart stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and some types of cancer. Cycling is a great activity to do as it also keeps our mind fresh, wakes you up first thing in the morning, and hence you can learn better and helps you to be your best in school!
By Swati Upadhya
Changing Times In our article we decided to show all of the changes introduced in our school as a response to the pandemic, such as the one way system, masks and social distancing. The first thing we’re going to show you is the one way system. We took pictures of the stickers on the floor and arrows on the walls. It was confusing at first but now we are getting the hang of routes.
Every student in Manor House must wear some sort of face covering the school has provided us with some masks but it’s optional, we can wear our own if we want. Below we have displayed some homemade masks and the school ones. Just in case you forget your mask disposable ones are available at the office.
There are also hand sanitation station outside every room that we use going in and out of an area.
All of the class rooms are also socially distanced, we have yellow x stickers marking the floor where the desk should be, to make sure we maintain a 1 metre distance.
Manor house has also adapted by adding isolation rooms for any student that might feel any COVID symptoms whilst in school.
All the things are designed to make us feel safe and stay safe in school and so far so good. By Zoe Ward, Rachel Phillips, Grace Mooney and Hannah Gibson
Halloween Word Search
FIREWORKS TRICKORTREAT LANTERN SPIDERS WITCH
COSTUME SWEETS HALLOWEEN SKELETON WEREWOLF
BONFIRE SPOOKY VAMPIRE PUMPKIN GHOST
Made by: Sabrina Albert, Zuzanna Lewandowska Cherie Bai, Shiyan Yu
Gold Slips There have been a record number of Gold Slips since we started back! (I don’t think I ever got this many in two months.) The PE department in particular, have been so impressed with your energy and enthusiasm this year. Really well done to all those who are mentioned:
Niamh Abbott
Riya Alex
Juliette Allen
Alex Askin
Hannah Barret
Sarah Benzies
Sadhbh Brett
Grace Collier
Molly Connell
Amelia Conroy
Katie Costello
Lucy Cummins
Toni Daly Grant
Isobelle Dowling
Colleen Efekodo
Hannah Egan
Aimee Ennis
Tara Fearn
Aimee Foley
Kayleigh Francis
Ciara Glancy
Jennifer Grimes
Demi Leigh Gunnery
Brooke Hanney
Ella Harris
Abi Howard
Rachael Kelly
Hannah Langan
Nicole Leder
Claudia Lennon Connolly
Brooke Little
Jessica Maguire
Ava Malone
Adrianna Marsella
Julie Meghan
Maebh NĂ Bhranagain
Claire Nolan
Kate Power
Aisling Savage
Katie Teefy
Jewel Wenzel
Thank you to Ms. Gilroy for all her help in putting this Newsletter together. We hope you enjoy it.
Wishing you all a lovely Midterm, from 2S.