Our Team: New Members

Who are we?

É com enorme prazer que vejo um número cada vez maior de alunos a quererem fazer parte desta equipa. Assim, dou a conhecer os “novos” alunos que abraçaram este projecto (alguns deles já participaram, activamente, nas actividades do blog no decorrer do 1º período, mas só agora se juntam, definitivamente, a nós). Bem – vindos!

7ºs Anos

. 7ºA: nº16, Juliana e nº 19, Mónica Sampaio;

. 7º B: nº5, Daniela Silva; nº6, Fábio Pires; nº 14, Inês Lopes; nº 16, Patrícia Coutada; nº 17, Rui Pereira e nº 18, Rui Rodrigues;

. 7º C: nº7, Cátia Sá e nº 11, Flávia Santos.

8ºs Anos

. 8º A: nº 2, Carla Martins; nº 15, Patrícia; nº 17, Rita Domingues e nº 20, Sara Carvalho.

. 8º C: nº 1, Ana Saleiro; nº 7, Daniela Antunes; nº 9, Filipe; nº 10, Hélder; nº 13, Pedro Faria e nº 15, Rita Azevedo.

9º Ano (CEF – Tipo III)

. Adriano (nº2) e Cláudia (nº5).

Alunos que frequentam a Sala de Estudo

. Artur Ricardo Alves Silva (nº6 / 6ºB).

. Nota (s): todos os alunos “inscritos” no blog no 1º período continuam a fazer parte integrante desta equipa. Listaram – se aqui apenas as “novas” entradas.

Welcome 2009!

Olá a todos,

Gostaria de iniciar o Novo Ano felicitando todos os alunos que, durante o 1º período, dinamizaram esta página. Estão de parabéns!

Aproveito a oportunidade para relembrar que temos 2 projectos eTwinning em curso e, ainda, a chegada da (o) nova (o) Assistente Comenius à nossa escola.

Apelo, ainda, à vossa colaboração para a dinamização do “Speakers `Corner” – um espaço onde, como sabem, podem “falar” de assuntos que sejam do vosso interesse.

Despeço – me encorajando – vos à leitura e à escrita, à partilha de conhecimentos, à troca de ideias …

O blog é vosso! Aguardo as vossas sugestões / os vossos contributos para este novo ciclo de actividades.

Um forte aplauso para os novos membros do blog! Vão gostar da experiência!

Carla Alves

Customs and Traditions

How do the British celebrate traditional and religious holidays?





Christmas Day

"In Britain, Christmas Day is normally spent at home, with the family, and it is regarded as a celebration of the family and its continuity. Preparations start well in advance, with the sending of Christmas cards and installation of a decorated Christmas tree in a prominent place in the home. Although it is now a firmly established tradition, the Christmas tree was first popularised by Queen Victoria `s husband, Prince Albert, who introduced the custom from his native Germany in 1840.

Some houses are decorated with evergreens (plants which do not lose their leaves in winter); a wreath of holly on the front door and garlands of holly, ivy and fit indoors. Bunches of mistletoe are often hung above doorways – any couple passing underneath must exchange kisses! Traditional food is prepared: sweet mince pies, a rich Christmas cake and the Christmas pudding. Everyone has their own favourite recipe, but they `re all packed full of spices, nuts, dried fruit and brandy.

Presents are bought and rapped, and traditionally placed under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. Christmas is both a secular and a religious holiday, and many families like to attend a midnight service at church on Christmas Eve, or celebrate Christmas in church on Christmas morning.

The excitement begins for children on Christmas Eve, when they hang up their stockings (an old sock or, more ambitiously, pillow cases) around the fireplace or at the foot of the bed for Father Christmas to fill with presents. The English Father Christmas or Santa Claus is first recorded in his traditional red and white outfit in a woodcut of 1653, but the story of Santa arriving in his reindeer – drawn sleigh and descending down the chimney to fill children `s stockings with presents derives from the USA.

Practically everyone sits down to a Christmas dinner in the early afternoon of Christmas Day, traditionally roast turkey, but some families prefer goose or roast beef. The turkey is followed by the Christmas pudding, brought to the table flaming hot. Brandy is poured over the pudding, then lit. The day ends with everyone relaxing, watching television or playing guessing – games like charades".

(The United Kingdom – 100 Questions Answered, Foreign & Commonwealth Office)

Boxing Day

“Boxing Day (26December) is so – called because it `s a time when tradespeople receive a “Christmas Box” – some money in appreciation of the work they `ve carried out all year. Traditionally a time for visiting family and friends and indulging in more feasting, Boxing Day is a popular day for football matches and other sporting fixtures. The day is a public holiday, so shops and banks are closed. More recently, some shops have broken with tradition and now open on Boxing Day to encourage shoppers who can `t wait to spend their Christmas money!”

(The United Kingdom – 100 Questions Answered, Foreign & Commonwealth Office)

Christmas Songs

Let It Snow!

Oh, the weather outside is frightful,

But the fire is so delightful,

And since we've no place to go,

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

It doesn't show signs of stopping,

And I brought some corn for popping;

The lights are turned way down low,

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

When we finally say good night,

How I'll hate going out in the storm;

But if you really hold me tight,

All the way home I'll be warm.

The fire is slowly dying,

And, my dear, we're still good-bye-ing,

But as long as you love me so.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

You better watch out

You better not cry

Better not pout

I'm telling you why

Santa Claus is coming to town

He's making a list,

And checking it twice;

Gonna find out Who's naughty and nice.

Santa Claus is coming to town

He sees you when you're sleeping

He knows when you're awake

He knows if you've been bad or good

So be good for goodness sake!

O! You better watch out!

You better not cry.

Better not pout, I'm telling you why.

Santa Claus is coming to town.

Santa Claus is coming to town.

Rocking Around the Christmas Tree

Rocking around the Christmas tree

at the Christmas party hop

Mistletoe hung where you can see

every couple tries to stop

Rocking around the Christmas tree,

let the Christmas spirit ring

Later we'll have some pumpkin pie

and we'll do some caroling.

You will get a sentimental

feeling when you hear

Voices singing let's be jolly,

deck the halls with boughs of holly

Rocking around the Christmas tree,

have a happy holiday

Everyone dancing merrily

in the new old-fashioned way.

Jingle Bell Rock

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock

Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring

Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun

Now the jingle hop has begun

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock

Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time

Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square

In the frosty air.

What a bright time, it's the right time

To rock the night away

Jingle bell time is a swell time

To go gliding in a one-horse sleigh

Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet

Jingle around the clock

Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet

That's the jingle bell,

That's the jingle bell,

That's the jingle bell rock.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

You know Dasher and Dancer

And Prancer and Vixen,

Comet and Cupid

And Donner and Blitzen.

But do you recall

The most famous reindeer of all?

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

(reindeer)

Had a very shiny nose

(like a light bulb)

And if you ever saw it

(saw it)

You would even say it glows

(like a flash light)

All of the other reindeer

(reindeer)

Used to laugh and call him names

(like Pinochio)

They never let poor Rudolph

(Rudolph)

Play in any reindeer games

(like Monopoly)

Then one foggy Christmas Eve

Santa came to say

(Ho Ho Ho)

Rudolph with your nose so bright

Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?

Then all the reindeer loved him

(loved him)

And they shouted out with glee

(yippee)

"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

(reindeer)

You'll go down in history!"

(like Columbus)

A Christmas Carol

By Charles Dickens

“Once upon a time -- of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve -- old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house. It was cold, bleak, biting weather: foggy withal: and he could hear the people in the court outside, go wheezing up and down, beating their hands upon their breasts, and stamping their feet upon the pavement stones to warm them. The city clocks had only just gone three, but it was quite dark already -- it had not been light all day -- and candles were flaring in the windows of the neighbouring offices, like ruddy smears upon the palpable brown air. The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole, and was so dense without, that although the court was of the narrowest, the houses opposite were mere phantoms. To see the dingy cloud come drooping down, obscuring everything, one might have thought that Nature lived hard by, and was brewing on a large scale.

The door of Scrooge's counting-house was open that he might keep his eye upon his clerk, who in a dismal little cell beyond, a sort of tank was copying letters. Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. But he couldn't replenish it, for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room; and so surely as the clerk came in with the shovel, the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part. Wherefore the clerk put on his white comforter, and tried to warm himself at the candle; in which effort, not being a man of a strong imagination, he failed.

'A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!' cried a cheerful voice. It was the voice of Scrooge's nephew, who came upon him so quickly that this was the first intimation he had of his approach.

'Bah!' said Scrooge, 'Humbug!' “

http://holidays.kaboose.com/christmas/stories/a-christmas-carol/xmas-stories-achristmascarol.html

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Our Team

Imagem: Ana Laranjeira, nº2 – 7º A

Vídeo: João Sousa (nº 15, 7º A) e Taciana (nº 16, 8º C)

. Links:

. Nota (s): estes dados serão disponibilizados muito em breve!

Speakers `Corner

What is Speakers `Corner?

“Speakers `Corner in the north – east corner of Hyde Park in London is by tradition an area where public speeches can be made by anyone who has anything they want to say – no matter how eccentric or implausible.

The area was set aside for such use in 1872, after Hyde Park itself became a popular centre for public speaking.

Speakers talk to the crowds from a soapbox – an improvised platform once made from wooden packing crates used for soap and other items. Individual speakers or representatives of various organisations or special causes deliver their speeches at weekends – to the amusement or bewilderment of passers by.

Crowds often gather around a speaker, and generally feel free to make comments on the speech or simply to heckle the speaker if they don `t agree with what is being said!

Speakers `Corner is often taken as a symbol of free speech”.

(The United Kingdom – 100 Questions Answered, Foreign & Commonwealth Office)

Welcome to our Speakers ` Corner! Express yourself! Feel free to share your ideals with us! Not censured!

. Nota (s): neste espaço será permitida a publicação de informação em Português e Inglês dado que alguns dos assuntos que os alunos se propõe tratar exigem a aquisição de vocabulário especifico que, neste momento, não se encontra (ainda) ao seu alcance. Os alunos irão, gradualmente, (re) construindo os seus textos utilizando, prioritariamente, a língua inglesa …

É com muito orgulho que dou as boas – vindas ao Miguel Perdigão (nº 17, 7ºA) e à Mónica Sampaio (nº19, 7ºA)! Vamos conhecer as suas causas! Come along!

ANIMAL TESTING

Miguel Perdigão

. Links:

. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33TCy0Wl8zg

. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frFSt-44Juw

. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77xO2in4Zi8&feature=related

. National Geographic http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

BULLYING

Mónica Sampaio

. Links:

. What `s Bullying? http://www.nobully.org.nz/advicek.htm

. Bullying in Schools http://www.kenrigby.net/

. Bullying.Org: http://www.bullying.org/index.cfm

. BullyingUK: http://www.bullying.co.uk/

. StopBullyingNow: http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/index.asp?area=main

. Bullying. No Way! http://www.bullyingnoway.com.au/

Customs and Traditions

How do the British celebrate traditional and religious holidays?

Halloween

“Halloween (31 October) and its associations with witches and ghosts derives from the Celtic Old Year `s Night – the night of all witches, when spirits were said to walk the earth. Witches and supernatural beings are still remembered all over Britain, when bands of children roam the streets in ghoulish costumes, carrying Halloween lanterns – pumpkins hollowed out with a ghostly face cut into one side, which glows when a candle is placed inside.

In recent years the custom of “trick or treating” has gained in popularity. Although we commonly associate this practice with America, the custom originated in England as “Mischief Night” when children declared one “lawless night” of unpunished pranks (usually May Day eve or Halloween).

Halloween parties (usually for children) include games such as apple bobbing, where apples are either floated in water or hung by a string. The object of the game is for the players to put their hands behind their back and try to seize an apple with their teeth alone”.

(The United Kingdom – 100 Questions Answered, Foreign & Commonwealth Office)

TIM BURTON `S

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

. Vídeos: Rafaela Sá, nº 20, 7ºA.

TIM BURTON `S

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Once upon a time there was a Pumpkin Patch King named Jack Skellington who ruled the holiday Halloween. Every October 31st he was the King and loved it but one year he decided he was bored of doing the same thing all the time. He wanted excitement, so he escaped from Halloween and visited other holidays. Jack decided that he wanted to become the new Christmas Santa so he kidnapped the real Santa and took over. Thus creating a Nightmare Before Christmas. Jack convinced all his friends that they should work together to bring Christmas to the children. However, as the towns` people helped they added their own idea of what a Nightmare Before Christmas would be and it turned out to be a very scary experience for all the kids. Everything ended well and the real Santa Clause was able to put things right. Jack was very sorry for messing things up and in the end found true love with Sally.

. Do you want to find out all the details about this magnificent film? Have a look at this: http://minadream.com/timburton/Nightmare.htm.

. Who is Tim Burton? Let `s find out! http://www.timburtoncollective.com/bio.html

Opening

(Narrator)

‘Twas a long time ago,

Longer now than it seems

in a place that perhaps

you've seen in your dreams

For the story that you are about to be told

began with the holiday worlds of old

Now, you've probably wondered

where holidays come from.

If you haven't I'd say

it's time you begun.

For the holidays are the result of much fuss

and hard work from the worlds that create them us

Well you see now, quite simply

that's all that they do,

making one unique holiday

especially for you

But once, a calamity ever so great

occurred when two holidays met by mistake"

Closing

“And finally, everything worked out just fine.

Christmas was saved, though there wasn't much time.

But after that night, things were never the same -

- each holiday now knew the other ones' name.

And though that one Christmas things got out of hand,

I'm still rather fond of that skeleton man.

So many years later I thought I'd drop in,

and there was old Jack still looking quite thin,

with four or five skeleton children at hand

playing strange little tunes in their xylophone band.

And I asked old Jack, "Do you remember the night

when the sky was so dark and the moon shone so bright?

When a million small children pretending to sleep

nearly didn't have Christmas at all, so to speak?”

And would you, if you could, turn that mighty clock back

to that long, fateful night, now think carefully, Jack.

Would you do the whole thing all over again,

knowing what you know now, knowing what you knew then?"

And he smiled, like the old Pumpkin King that I knew,

then turned and asked softly of me, "Wouldn't you?"

Lyrics for all the songs from the NMBC original soundtrack

http://www.timburtoncollective.com/nmbclyrics.html#02

JACK O `LANTERNS

“People have been making jack o' lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack." According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.

Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavoury figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O' Lantern."

In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries brought the jack o' lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack o' lanterns”.

(Ana Sampaio, nº 1, 7ºB:
http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Generic&content_type_id=716&display_order=4&mini_id=1076; Imagem: Ana Laranjeira, nº2, 7ºA).

. Nota (s): está lançado o 2º desafio (ainda se lembram do 1º? Por onde andam os logótipos?) …

. Quem se atreve a fazer um pequeno resumo da história? Se preferires podes escrever uma pequena frase sobre o filme (que sentimentos te despertou? que adjectivos utilizarias para os caracterizar? …).

. Põe a tua imaginação à prova! Testa o teu Inglês! Publica o (s) teu (s) trabalho (s) no espaço reservado para os comentários! Participa!

. Links:

. Histórias, canções, jogos, receitas,vídeos, imagens, …:

. Mónica Sampaio, nº 19, 7º A e Ana Sampaio, nº 1, 7ºB:

. http://web.educom.pt/pr1305/hallowen.htm

. http://web.educom.pt/pr1305/hallowen_ingles.htm

. Ana Laranjeira, nº 2, 7ºA:

. http://d.emule.com/fondo-de-escritorio-halloween/fondo-de-escritorio-halloween.jpg

. http://www.dedge.com/flash/hangman/


. Eliana Montenegro, nº 12, 7ºA:

. http://kiddyhouse.com/Themes/halloween/halloween.html

. http://www.halloweenmagazine.com/safety-game/

. http://funschool.kaboose.com/fun-blaster/halloween/index.html

. Rafaela, nº 20, 7ºA:

. http://www.yupis.com/halloween-games/

. Ana Sampaio, nº 1, 7ºB:

. http://www.history.com/minisites/halloween/

. http://www.history.com/minisites/halloween/viewVideoGallery?videoId=1297

. Rui Jorge Costa Pereira, º 17, 7ºB:

. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9iDr1kFZDo

. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pLaBcrEzog

. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCJPnxaFtcM

Lifelong Learning Programme

Comenius Assistantships

. Links:

. European Commission:

http://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm

. Lifelong Learning Programme overview:

http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-programme/doc78_en.htm

. The Comenius Programme:

http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-programme/doc84_en.htm

eTwinning

. Our eTwinning Project (2):

What a Wonderful World

. Project details:

It will be an eTwinning project with European schools showing the beauty of different places in Europe.

. Aims:

We would like to offer our students a chance to exchange information about the European countries in many aspects of life and also to give students a chance to know better other European nations and their different cultures and languages.

. Work process:

We would like to exchange information about our own languages, cultures, traditions …

We could create a webpage specially “designed” for this purpose or we could create a Blog where we would display our works.

. Expected results:

We would like to know more about our languages, cultures, traditions …

To create a webpage or a blog specially “designed” for this purpose where we will display our works.


* Our work will be published in a Twinspace as an example of a perfect cooperation between different nations. Our students will be actively involved in every task and our knowledge about different aspects of European life will be widely known.

. Partner (s): Poland / United Kingdom / others will be added very soon.

* This project will be updated regularly.

. Links:

. eTwinning: http://www.etwinning.net/pt/pub/index.htm

. Our website: