Primary School Essay/Poetry Project 2010

In 2009 we decided to revive our essay/poetry project for primary schools in our area after an absence of a few years. Monaghan Mental Health Association (MMHA) members were delighted with the response to their primary schools essay and poetry project in 2009 when hundreds of entries flooded in from schools in the general north Monaghan area.
Poetry and a section for 4th class pupils had been added and as both proved popular, it was decided to retain them.
The theme for both the essays and the poems for 2010 is “What makes me feel good”. There was be a “Merit Award” and a prize of €20 for the best essay/poem, a “Highly Commended” prize for each runner up, certificates for all entries and for the schools that take part. The project culminates in a presentation night in the Westenra Hotel when all winners, "highly commendeds", teachers and parents are invited. The highlight of the evening is when the children come forward to read their poems and essays to the crowd.
See a sample of essays and poems below.......
Poetry and a section for 4th class pupils had been added and as both proved popular, it was decided to retain them.
The theme for both the essays and the poems for 2010 is “What makes me feel good”. There was be a “Merit Award” and a prize of €20 for the best essay/poem, a “Highly Commended” prize for each runner up, certificates for all entries and for the schools that take part. The project culminates in a presentation night in the Westenra Hotel when all winners, "highly commendeds", teachers and parents are invited. The highlight of the evening is when the children come forward to read their poems and essays to the crowd.
See a sample of essays and poems below.......
Merit Winner
Feeling Happy A lot of things make me happy. My family is one I love going on holidays and playing on the beach, going to water parks and going out for dinner. Although it is sad when you have to go home, i am happy with the good memories. Christmas is another thing that makes me happy. Putting up the decorations, buying presents for people, visiting relations and especially Christmas Day! Watching the X Factor on a Saturday night makes me happy. The fire lit and sometimes a Chinese. Friends makes me happy too. I love going to their houses and sleeping over. I also enjoy going to town just to look around with my friends. My friends are always there for me. Sometimes I like to stay at home and relax, sit down and watch television. I love playing on the trampoline or on the scooters. Sports make me happy too. I do football, basketball, athletics, rounders and dancing. My Ceili dancing team and I came first in the Spraoi competition. Now we are going to try the under seventeen “Scor”. I can’t wait! I think it is very important to be happy, to have fun and to laugh. Some people get depression which is an illness that makes them sad about anything and even the things that made you happy before do not anymore. I am glad to have a very happy life so far. Nobody is happy all the time but we all should be happy more than we are sad. I hope everyone has a mum, dad, or good friend to talk to if they feel sad. By Sarah Mc Kenna, St Marys, Threemilehouse What Makes Me Feel Good
There are so many things that make me feel good like when I go outside and smell some nice flowers or when my cousin comes to play with me. I enjoy her company. My Grandmother is also very good to me. She is very old and it me makes me feel good to help her out. Everyone in my class is my friends. It makes me feel happy to be with my friends everyday in school. My family are also very nice to me like when it’s my birthday or Christmas they all buy me presents. Going to an All Ireland to run cheers me up or even just going to my normal running sessions as I have lots of friends there that do not go to my school. I like when I get an exciting book to read or a really funny joke book as I like things that make me laugh. I enjoy playing with my brothers and sisters. I like to bake especially chocolate buns or a chocolate cake. Getting new clothes really makes me feel happy or accessories for my hair. I also like playing on the laptop or on my Nintendo. I love when my sister and I have our friends over and we go to the swimming pool. These are all the things that make me feel good. By Ellen Mc Kenna St Marys Threemilehouse |
Highly Commended
What Makes me Feel Good Chocolate, oh chocolate Yum yum yummy In the bottom of my tum tum tummy. You pick me up when I am low and give Me energy on the go! You melt in my mouth Like a snowflake from heaven, I wish I could have you every day at eleven By Abbey Killoran St Marys Threemilehouse HC Winner
When Makes Me Feel Good All the colours of the rainbow, All glistening in the sun. All the pretty flowers that belong to my mum. My big German Shephard “Mac” Who is always great crack. My little fish “Goldie” who is a real oldie. My flute and tinwhistle If anyone would like to listen. Ceile and set dancing I really love practising. Family and friends that are always there When i need them every now and again. All the above really make me feel good And always puts me in a really good mood. By Caoimhe Mc Mahon, Threemilehouse School HC Winner
What Makes Me Feel Good Winning football games Having a laugh with my friends At my friends hours Talking with my friends Making buns At school when i see my friends Keeping all my friends forever Eating with my family Saying prayers Making new friends Eating at my nanny’s house Funny Earning money Earning a treat Leaping on the trampoline Going on holidays Opening presents on Christmas Day On my way home from school Doing jobs for my granddad By Kevin Kelly StMarys Threemilehouse |
HC Winner
When Makes Me Feel Good My friends make me feel good because they care for me. We laugh and play and run about for everyone to see. My family makes me feel good because they love me so. They care for me and keep me safe so I am never low. My grandparents make me feel good because they give me things and if they do I say thank you so I will get my wings. My teacher makes me feel good because I learn a lot. In class it’s fun we do some sums and join up all the dots. By Kerrie Freeman, St Marys Threemilehouse Merit Winner What Makes Me Feel Good
Feeling good is extremely important to me. The most important thing that makes me feel good is my friends. I really like meeting my friends at school because they make me laugh. We talk about football results and television programmes and tell each other incredibly hilarious jokes. Certainly football makes me feel really good. I play for Monaghan United. We train once a week and we play a match every Sunday. Usually i play Centre back. When we score as a team we definitely celebrate. I jump with delight. Gaelic is another thing i like to play. I am part of Tyholland football club. We didn’t win any cups for U12’s this year. However we got to the Shield Final. Unfortunately we didn’t win it bit it still makes me feel good to reach that level. My family is especially important to me. Sometimes we go out for dinner on a very special occasion. Every summer we go on holidays together to Spain. We have a wonderful time. But just sitting down and chatting and discussing things that happen in the world makes me feel good I like feeling good! By Niall Hamill, Leitrim NS, HC Winner How to make me............Happy!!!
What you need: 1 litre of hot chocolate 500g of chocolate 10 teaspoons of laughing I cup of shopping 5kg of being with my family 50ml of friends What to do: 1. Get the chocolate and mix it with laughing. 2. Add the friends and blend together. 3. Bake at 200 ⁰ C after stirring with hot choc and family. 4. When finished add the shopping to top it off. By Nicole Finn, Merit Winner, Knockconan Many people like playing or working with the people around them. It’s a lovely feeling to think that some people enjoy your company, that they care if you are in pain or in trouble. To see their smiling faces as you approach them. It can also work the other way! I feel happy if I know they’re ok. I also feel good if I ring them and talk to them over the phone. Friends are good to talk to if you are sad or lonely. Reading is definitely a feel-good factor for me. When I read my favourite books, I get lost in the story. Many of the best stories I read are, adventurous stories or mysterious stories. Fiction stories are great to read when you want to feel good. All these things lift my spirits and make me feel good. By Rhea Lambe, Garron NS, Tyholland What makes me Feel Good
What makes me feel good is when I visit my Grandparents. They were very caring and they loved me loads. Every day I visited them. I was very close to them. I always helped them feed the calves and cows. I always loved to help them with the milking of the cows. Nanny always had a great stock of food in the house. I’d reckon that she was the best grandmother I ever had. She always loved to see me coming into the house and i had many lovely memories of her. She was a very hard working woman; some people say that they could never do the amount of work she did. Sometimes when I think of her I get very emotional and break down into tears. Every Sunday we used to go into town which I enjoyed a lot. My Granda is a nice man as well. I never spent as much time with him as I did with my Nanny. At least I have many memories. When I think of my Granny it strangely can make me happy and sad at the same time. However having been able to spend time with her makes me feel good. By Gerard Slowey, Garron NS, Tyholland HC Winner |
What Makes me Feel Good
There are a lot of things that make me feel god. The first thing is my bedroom. It makes me feel good because when I feel lonely I can go up to my room and watch tv, read a book, do some colouring, play with my teddies or write in my diary. Sometimes I just sit there and stare into space. The second thing is my best friend Āine. She makes me feel good because when she smiles or laughs she makes me feel happy. Even though she doesn’t go to my school we are best friends. The good thing is every week we laugh at everything even when we get into trouble. The third thing is just being myself. There is just something about it that i like. Sometimes i would read a book but most of the time i would just sit on a chair and enjoy the peace and quiet. The last thing is spending time with my family. Even when I’m low being with them cheers me up. I love going on adventures. It is fun and enjoyable. Going in the car is great crack as well. I love playing with my sisters. Those are the things that make me feel good!!! By Megan Kierans, St Marys, Threemilehouse HC Winner
What Makes Me Feel Good What makes me feel good Is spending time with my friends, Chatting, laughing, playing and more! We love shopping and the cinema and the swimming pool too. Without them I don’t know what I would do! They make me laugh, They make me smile, And help me in times when Iam down. Friends are always there without a frown. Friends forever Friends for life, Feeling good in every way. Hooray, Hooray, Hooray. Let’s hope friends make me feel good Each and every day !!!! By Sinead Mc Kenna, St Marys, Threemilehouse How to make me happy Ingredients 300g of Chocolate 4kg of shopping 4 tablespoons of friends 2 teaspoons of Xfactor 1 ltr of Christmas Method: 1. Mix the shopping with the chocolate. 2. Next you sieve in some Xfactor 3. Now whip the Christmas and then add it to the mix. 4. Last you bake for 20 mins 5. Then Enjoy! By Sinéad Rafferty, H.C Winner, Knockconan Merit Winner H avin g fun with my family A fter a big Indian P artying with my friends P retending to be a postar. I am feeling good. N ativity play E ating chocolate S haring with my friends S haring with my family By Aoibheann Treanor, Merit Winner Knockconan Happiness is a great feeling, things that make me happy are: going to parties. Another thing that makes me happy is Xmas. Presents are great but the main thing is that Jesus was born. People think that Christmas is all about presents. I think that Jesus is Santa because he made Santa. Nobody is as powerful as Jesus. Everyone in my school is always happy. Some people are happy in Summer. By Megan Markey, Merit Winner, Knockconan NS |