In this week's Debating Society (1º bachillerato) four pupils debated whether social media networks promote diversity or not. It was probably the highest quality debate held to date, both from a debater and an audience point of view. Well done to Marta, Juan, Eva and Laura! Listen to a sample of the debate here:
Listen to the sum-up speeches on Soundcloud.com
Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Sunday, 16 October 2016
A year in Scotland
Here is the second account of a pupil returning to our school from a year spent living abroad, this time from Pablo (3º ESO).
My story begins on the 4th August 2015 at 2pm, when I realised I was going to live in another country, Scotland (Glasgow to be exact), for a year.
I had that kind of sensation that you have when you don't know how it's going to be, if you can do it, and if you are going to like the place. I had to take two planes, one to London and another one to Glasgow, and then a taxi to my new house. My first view of Glasgow was good. For one day we had no rain, but then the next few days were different in many ways. It started raining every day. And it stopped for an hour and then it could rain again or be cloudy, or even snow. They called it four seasons in one day.
But let's focus. After two weeks I started school with my brother. It was really different from Spain! First, you had to move from one class to another instead of waiting for the teacher in one class. Next, the way of teaching was really different. The teachers interacted so much with the pupils. And they prepared so many things for the students to do, like class projects, games or even contests.
I have to admit that the first day was probably the worst one. You are new in a school where you don't know everyone (probably no one). In Scotland you don't have the same name for the school years as in Spain. For example 1ºESO is called S1, which means Secondary 1. It goes from S1 to S6, but when you pass to S5 and S6 they call it Senior 5 or 6. Apart from that everything is the same at school.
Back to normal life, my family and I moved into a bigger house one month later. Now and then we visited the city centre and its shops and museums. One of the most famous museums is the Kelvingrove Museum, near the university. It has so many art works, sculptures, fossils and animals - there's a wide variety of things.
In school you had a subject called drama, which is basically theatre. You had to act like a real actor, in different situations and places. It was really fun! Also you could choose different subjects at the end of S2, which was quite good.
One of my last experiences at school was when, at the end of the year, we went to Blackpool Pleasure Beach, a theme park in the north of England. We went for the whole day and I really enjoyed it! That was one of my last days at school, but on my last day there was an assembly at the school church where diplomas were given to people if they had made an effort and they had got good marks.
Sometimes I miss that school. But after that I visited Scotland, from the west to the east, and it was good. You got to know a different culture, place, cities, people, history and friends. So my journey ended on the 1st August 2016, when I had to go back to Madrid. That's when you notice that a year has passed and you have lived a new experience and you have changed.
My story begins on the 4th August 2015 at 2pm, when I realised I was going to live in another country, Scotland (Glasgow to be exact), for a year.
I had that kind of sensation that you have when you don't know how it's going to be, if you can do it, and if you are going to like the place. I had to take two planes, one to London and another one to Glasgow, and then a taxi to my new house. My first view of Glasgow was good. For one day we had no rain, but then the next few days were different in many ways. It started raining every day. And it stopped for an hour and then it could rain again or be cloudy, or even snow. They called it four seasons in one day.
But let's focus. After two weeks I started school with my brother. It was really different from Spain! First, you had to move from one class to another instead of waiting for the teacher in one class. Next, the way of teaching was really different. The teachers interacted so much with the pupils. And they prepared so many things for the students to do, like class projects, games or even contests.
I have to admit that the first day was probably the worst one. You are new in a school where you don't know everyone (probably no one). In Scotland you don't have the same name for the school years as in Spain. For example 1ºESO is called S1, which means Secondary 1. It goes from S1 to S6, but when you pass to S5 and S6 they call it Senior 5 or 6. Apart from that everything is the same at school.
Back to normal life, my family and I moved into a bigger house one month later. Now and then we visited the city centre and its shops and museums. One of the most famous museums is the Kelvingrove Museum, near the university. It has so many art works, sculptures, fossils and animals - there's a wide variety of things.
In school you had a subject called drama, which is basically theatre. You had to act like a real actor, in different situations and places. It was really fun! Also you could choose different subjects at the end of S2, which was quite good.
One of my last experiences at school was when, at the end of the year, we went to Blackpool Pleasure Beach, a theme park in the north of England. We went for the whole day and I really enjoyed it! That was one of my last days at school, but on my last day there was an assembly at the school church where diplomas were given to people if they had made an effort and they had got good marks.
Sometimes I miss that school. But after that I visited Scotland, from the west to the east, and it was good. You got to know a different culture, place, cities, people, history and friends. So my journey ended on the 1st August 2016, when I had to go back to Madrid. That's when you notice that a year has passed and you have lived a new experience and you have changed.
Monday, 10 October 2016
European Union "Crash Course"
How are EU laws made?
Is the Interrail train pass going to be free?
Will Brexit really happen?
How does a country join the EU?
These were some of the questions posed by our pupils at the start of today's "EU Crash Course", which they were able to answer by the end. The morning-long workshop was kindly provided by the European Youth Parliament España. If you recognise the name of this organisation then it's because our school participated in their Madrid debate session at the beginning of the year.
Every year over 30,000 pupils from 4ºESO or 1ºBach (or their equivalents in other countries) take part in these debates, but this event was different. Two of their young volunteers, Clara and Laura, came to help our students learn about the EU in a fun and educational way, through a variety of group games and activities, almost all in English, conducted through the peer-to-peer method, in which students help each other learn mutually.
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| Some of our 4º ESO pupils doing a group activity to learn about the European Union. |
We started with an activity in which the pupils had to move to a different part of the room according to their opinion of different questions. For example, the first one:
Europe makes you think of...
a. a geographical continent
b. lots of cultures and languages
c. the EU
d. Events like Eurovision or the Champions League
This was a great way to break the ice and get thinking about the subject of Europe. Then, split into smaller groups, the pupils had to read into one of the key ideas connected with the EU - prosperity, peace, freedom, law and democracy - and explain their relevance to the other groups. They went on to look more in-depth at how the different institutions - the European Parliament, the European Council, the European Commission and the Council of Ministers - interact and how we can try to influence their decisions. The pupils then tried to apply their new knowledge to construct a diagram of the legislative set-up of the EU using plastic laminates. At the end we went over the answers to some of the questions posed by the pupils earlier.
We'd like to thank Clara, Laura and the EYPE for their time and interest, and for hopefully inspiring a new wave of future EYPE participants!
Sunday, 9 October 2016
Beautiful landscapes & landforms
In 3º ESO we have been studying physical geography in the English workshop. Here are some of our pupils' recommendations for places to visit where you can see beautiful landscapes and amazing landforms.
The Perito Moreno glacier (Victoria & Carlota)
It is located in southern Argentina. You can get there by plane travelling to a town called Calafate. There are many different trips but the best one is a bus trip to a port located in a natural park where you take a boat to the glacier. You put crampons on your shoes and spend the whole morning walking and taking pictures on the glacier. At the end of the trip they give whiskywith ice from the glacier to the adults.
Asturias (José Luis & Gonzalo)
Asturias is the most beautiful place in Spain, in our opinion. It is very green, with a mountain range called Picos de Europa, lots of nice beaches and high cliffs with great views. There are also big forests with a lot of vegetation, animals and dark caves, like the Tito Bustillo caves, with its prehistoric paintings. The climate is rainy and the temperature isn't as hot as in Madrid. To sum up, Asturias is a very good place to go to, with lots of landforms and a perfect temperature for the summer.
The Iguazú Waterfalls (Laura & Elena)
The Iguazú Waterfalls, in Brazil and Argentina, are the most impressive waterfalls in South America. You can see them from both countries bacause they are on the border. The trip in which you go around them is amazing because you can admire all the water falling. There is a different trip where you go on a boat under some of the waterfalls and you can see the mountains and landscape all around.
Can you recommend somewhere similarly beautiful or spectacular for us to visit? Please leave a comment if so!
The Perito Moreno glacier (Victoria & Carlota)
It is located in southern Argentina. You can get there by plane travelling to a town called Calafate. There are many different trips but the best one is a bus trip to a port located in a natural park where you take a boat to the glacier. You put crampons on your shoes and spend the whole morning walking and taking pictures on the glacier. At the end of the trip they give whiskywith ice from the glacier to the adults.
Asturias (José Luis & Gonzalo)
Asturias is the most beautiful place in Spain, in our opinion. It is very green, with a mountain range called Picos de Europa, lots of nice beaches and high cliffs with great views. There are also big forests with a lot of vegetation, animals and dark caves, like the Tito Bustillo caves, with its prehistoric paintings. The climate is rainy and the temperature isn't as hot as in Madrid. To sum up, Asturias is a very good place to go to, with lots of landforms and a perfect temperature for the summer.
The Iguazú Waterfalls (Laura & Elena)
The Iguazú Waterfalls, in Brazil and Argentina, are the most impressive waterfalls in South America. You can see them from both countries bacause they are on the border. The trip in which you go around them is amazing because you can admire all the water falling. There is a different trip where you go on a boat under some of the waterfalls and you can see the mountains and landscape all around.
Can you recommend somewhere similarly beautiful or spectacular for us to visit? Please leave a comment if so!
Sunday, 25 September 2016
Accounts of a year abroad
Periodically this year we will bring you the account of a pupil from our school who has returned from a year spent living abroad. The first one is from Leticia (3º ESO), but watch this space for several more in the future!
Last year I went to England to study a full academic year. I went to a town an hour away from London called Marlow.
This place was a modern town with a really high level, as a two-bedroom flat could cost a million pounds. The town was well cared for as in the streets there wasn't any rubbish and in the parks there was always someone clearing the rubbish or leaves that fell from the trees. As for the shops, they were alright for a town of this size. In the high street there were food, stationery and clothes shops and also a few cafés.
The flat that I lived in with my Dad, as he works there, was big enough for two. It's a small apartment with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and a living room.
I went to a public school in the town, ten minutes from where I lived. The school was enormous. They had it organised into blocks, which we would move between according to the subject. For lunch we had a canteen, where you could buy food or bring your own lunch to eat. At break when the weather was good we went to a huge field where people played or sat and talked. School started at 9 o'clock and finished at 3 o'clock, which was perfect for after-school activities and then to do your homework.
I had an amazing time there with my father, who I was lucky to have there if I needed something. Even though I had my father, I missed the rest of my family, which was the worst aspect of the year. In conclusion, I had lots of fun and it's an experience I will never forget.
Last year I went to England to study a full academic year. I went to a town an hour away from London called Marlow.
This place was a modern town with a really high level, as a two-bedroom flat could cost a million pounds. The town was well cared for as in the streets there wasn't any rubbish and in the parks there was always someone clearing the rubbish or leaves that fell from the trees. As for the shops, they were alright for a town of this size. In the high street there were food, stationery and clothes shops and also a few cafés.
The flat that I lived in with my Dad, as he works there, was big enough for two. It's a small apartment with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and a living room.
I went to a public school in the town, ten minutes from where I lived. The school was enormous. They had it organised into blocks, which we would move between according to the subject. For lunch we had a canteen, where you could buy food or bring your own lunch to eat. At break when the weather was good we went to a huge field where people played or sat and talked. School started at 9 o'clock and finished at 3 o'clock, which was perfect for after-school activities and then to do your homework.
I had an amazing time there with my father, who I was lucky to have there if I needed something. Even though I had my father, I missed the rest of my family, which was the worst aspect of the year. In conclusion, I had lots of fun and it's an experience I will never forget.
Saturday, 17 September 2016
Space (1ºESO)
We have just had a great week in the English Workshop with the first group of new 1ºESO pupils, who are just starting a very important new phase in their lives - secondary school.
After learning about each other a little in the first class, we spent the rest of the week looking at space and the Solar System through different activities in English, such as a quiz and a video listening.
The final part of the week was dedicated to producing the content you can see below: some fantastic space-related games and curiosities to practise your English and learn something new! Please leave a comment to let us know what you think!
First, check out these curiosities about space, prepared by Claudia, Laura, and Malena:
Harald and Álvaro made this space-related wordsearch. Try to find the words!
The following fun quiz was designed by Jimena & Paloma:
And finally, can you solve the crossword?
Thursday, 15 September 2016
The Biggest Year of our Lives
The oldest students in the school, who have just started their final school year ("2º de Bachillerato"), have been reflecting on this exciting and challenging time of their lives. They have been thinking specifically about their hopes and fears of what promises to be a very tough but, hopefully, equally rewarding time of their lives. Please spare a thought for these pupils and wish them all the best to help them get through this difficult year. Read on to get an idea of what is going through their minds at the moment!
Estela
Starting school is harder to do when the year you are about to start is 2º bach. Nobody talks about this year in a good way. So many hopes and fears, but the biggest hope for this whole school year is to be happy, and not stressing out, because that's my biggest worry.
Talking about my future, I haven't planned anything yet. There are so many degrees I don't know about and I want to be sure about what to study for the next five years. I would love to be a lawyer and I also love business, like my father, so I may study a double degree in business and law, perhaps in English.
There is something I am sure I want to do, and it is to go out of Spain one year and study abroad. I think that's something that everyone should take.
In conclusion, I think that in the next year there are so many big and important decisions mthat we, eighteen-year-old teenagers, have to take, and that we have to be careful, as some decisions can lead to our happiness and others to our future sadness!
Ángeles
One of the biggest aims I have for this year is to be able to have a high enough grade at the end of the course, thus having a wider range of options to choose from when selecting a degree.
My biggest fear is not being able capable of combining studying with going out with friends and family, as well as not keeping up to date with school work. What is more, another problem would be not knowing what the final exam for getting into university is going to be be like, as it is far harder to prepare for something that has never taken place.
I don't really know what I want to study in the future, but it would definitely be something related to maths and physics, which are my favourite subjects.
Another of my future ideas is to study in the Polytechnic University, and I would be grateful if I got to study one of the degree years in another country, like the United States. This way I would not only have the Spanish perspective of my degree, but also from another important part of the world.
Finally, it would be a great opportunity to study in Germany, but also a real challenge, as I consider German really hard to understand, thus it would take me more than a couple of months to get used to this language, never being able to speak perfectly.
Jorge
Second bach seems to be the hardest school year, as I've heard from lots of friends that have gone through this situation before me.
To be honest I'm not really worried about this year, even though I know that I will need to study a lot and be very well organised in order to finish my year with good grades and achieve my future plans.
My main concern is to be accepted in the university I want to get into, so I'd say that's my biggest challenge this year. Another problem which I find difficult to deal with are the exams held every three months, because they require a great deal of studying and preparation.
Furthermore, this year is very important for the reason that we are doing our leaving certificate and a lot of our future will rely on it.
To be honest I'm not really worried about this year, even though I know that I will need to study a lot and be very well organised in order to finish my year with good grades and achieve my future plans.
My main concern is to be accepted in the university I want to get into, so I'd say that's my biggest challenge this year. Another problem which I find difficult to deal with are the exams held every three months, because they require a great deal of studying and preparation.
Furthermore, this year is very important for the reason that we are doing our leaving certificate and a lot of our future will rely on it.
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