COMICS

26 ene 2020

Going for my third novel in January

How is your reading going so far?
I finished reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn this morning. What an amusing novel!
Before I start missing Huck and Jim a lot, I thought I would need another classic to keep me going.
So I went for Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897).
Time to go for the second chapter!!!


14 ene 2020

School Day of Non-violence and Peace




Qué mejor homenaje a la paz
que la protesta por la violencia.
Ayer se cumplieron dos años del fallecimiento de Dolores O'Riordan,
la mujer en la que me miraba con 16 años.
Quien me iba a decir que acabaría viviendo en el lugar sobre el que hablaba Zombie.
Ayer, casualmente,un niño me comentó
que llevaba todo el día tarareando una canción que no podía sacarse de la cabeza.
Le pregunté cual y me dijo 'Zombie' de
The Cranberries.
Y le conté cómo mi destino irlandés me dejó en dos ocasiones con la entrada en la mano y sin poder ir a ninguno de sus conciertos.Una vez, por un virus. La segunda, por coincidir la inauguración de los Special Olympics en Dublín con mi vuelta a España en verano (junio de 2003). Fui voluntaria en Omagh en la acogida de los atletas españoles y me la regalaron. Me perdí ese día a Nelson Mandela, The Corrs, U2 y The Cranberries pero ganó la responsabilidad de no tirar el dinero del billete de avión...
Dear families,
As every single year since I started teaching, I will devote a lesson (at least)
to this topic (30th January).
As you already know, I once lived in
Omagh, Northern Ireland, a place where 31 people were murdered due to a bomb, back in 1998 (15th August).
There were some benches in one of my schools to pay some homage to one of the students killed that day.
If you ever have some time ,watch the film 'Omagh'. I was never able to do so, since
when you live there, you find it hard to
see real lives depicted as fictional.
I will always be grateful to Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden was one of
the victims.
Michael made it possible to devote some prayers in Omagh,after the Madrid bombings (11M, 2004), to the Madrid victims.
There were two Spaniards in Omagh at
the time (I was one of those two) and
he made some effort to let us feel the
Omagh people's sympathy.
'Peace On Earth' (U2) was written by Bono as a result of the news about the Omagh bombings on the radio.
To me, together with their hymns
'Sunday Bloody Sunday' and 'Pride (In the Name of Love) is a song I link to our everlasting quest for peace.
The following song is the first one I remember myself singing just by listening to it, without having the lyrics.
I learned it by heart and it became my
song when I was 9.
Enjoy!
Enlace Canción

Ps: This song was written as a way to pay some homage to a man who died during some terrorist event and who happened to be a good friend of the band members.

10 ene 2020

Mamás, papás, niños y niñas musicales

Va por vosotros.
Mi héroe de la infancia,
(gracias a cuyas letras me convertí
en profesora de inglés)
grabó este vídeo homenaje
a su ídolo (David Bowie).
Hoy, como tributo al ser
más imaginativo de la música,
lo pongo en el blog.
David Bowie.
8/1/1947
10/1/2016
Enlace al vídeo (C1/C2)

Os enteréis más o menos (acentos
londinense y americano),
este vídeo es una joya que
hay que disfrutar.

8 ene 2020

Reading challenge

I saw today you have the challenge in 6° to read 2,000 pages from January until March.
I finished reading my first 2020 novel last Sunday.
I am revisiting the Penguin Clothbound Classics, a collection I am determined to buy.
The first novel I read is 'Jane Eyre' by Charlote Brontë.
The first time I read it I was 14 and it was a compulsory reading for my English class.
I fell in love with its universe and plot but, it was not until now I read it as it was written, since when I was a teenager it was set as one of those graded readings for students.
My next target will be The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
So I have already read 256 pages!!!!!
Como sé que tenemos el reto en lengua española de leer 2.000 páginas de aqui a marzo, me uno al reto pero en inglés.
Empecé "Jane Eyre" el 28 de diciembre, cuando me lo compré y me lo terminé el 6 de enero. Han sido 256 páginas.
Hoy empiezo el siguiente, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" de Mark Twain (165 páginas).
Según mis cálculos, unas 24 páginas al día para cumplir el reto de aqui a marzo.
¿Os animáis a leer como yo?📖

Enero:


Enero:


1 ene 2020

Christmas recibidos en Wandsworth, Gateshead, Belfast...

A nuestros niños y niñas de 5°EPO les encantará constatar que sus 'Christmas Cards' han llegado a Reino Unido.
Asi culminamos el proyecto de inglés de noviembre y diciembre relacionado con apoyos a ONG's de ayuda a la infancia (Save The Children) y la tercera edad.
Mirad el tuit que nos mandaron en Nochebuena:
Q

23 dic 2019

Ingresado Christmas Jumper Day

Os comunicamos que ya hemos realizado la totalidad del ingreso de los 374€ donados por las familias y maestros de nuestro colegio a Save The Children el pasado 13 de diciembre (Christmas Jumper Day).
167

€ para Save The Children UK
y los 207€ restantes para Save The Children España.
¡Mil gracias por haber participado en esta iniciativa solidaria!

15 dic 2019

The Final Countdown

Dear families,
While I keep getting your children's marks ready during the weeked and the files also ready for inspection, I can't help it but, you know, there is nothing music can't cure.
So here I am, earbuds on and enjoying this brand new single on TV last night.
I hope your children are finally starting to realise the term is to get to an end.
Now it comes the best part of it, carols rehearsals!!
Enjoy your Sunday and keep some room in it for songs.
https://youtu.be/xOfeaWNa9EE

13 dic 2019

Christmas Jumper Day

Ha sido un gran día solidario.
Gracias a todos los que habéis participado hoy en nuestro Christmas Jumper Day, hemos recaudado 373€ para la ONG 'Save The Children'.
Realizaremos el ingreso del importe recaudado lo antes posible en las cuentas facilitadas por ambas sedes (España y UK) para este fin.
Agradecemos con mucho cariño el trabajo realizado por las mamás de 6° que han prestado recursos materiales y elaborado adornos.
El Departamento de inglés da por concluida la 'II Edición del Christmas Jumper Day'.
¡Queda convocada la III edición!
🎄🎅
What a day we had!
We loved to see so many kids and parents wearing their Christmas jumpers!
We would like to thank those mums in 6° who were involved in getting lots of decorations ready. They prove to be a hardworking team!

11 dic 2019

Your favourite song for Christmas is...?

Here I am, knackered after I managed to register some marks in PASEN.
It will be a tough week and weekend for us, teachers, so I must cling onto some tunes to get over my 'heavy burden'.
If I had to pinpoint a song that brings the feeling of Christmas back to me it would be, without any single doubt, 'Last Christmas'.
The good news is that there is a film with it as its soundtrack, sung by our well-known and beloved Emilia Clarke, one of the nicest souls this century has brought into the spotlight.
I will go, however, for 'Walking In The Air', a classic song in the soundtrack in an 80s film for kids.
It is sung by my beloved Tom Chaplin (Keane's frontman).
Enjoy!!!
(I will, for sure!)
Which song is your Christmas favourite?
Ps: I do believe this man has the best voice of the 21st century.
Walking In The Air (Video)

Plan Digital de Centro

Gracias a la colaboración del alumnado de 6°EPO y Bachillerato y de mis compañeros profesores y profesoras del centro, he podido realizar un análisis del punto digital en el que nos encontramos como colegio.
Las conclusiones han sido reflejadas en las tareas obligatorias del curso de formación del INTEF (Instituto de Formación en Red para el Profesorado) que he realizado en los últimos meses.
La herramienta SELFIE de la Comisión Europea es esencial para arrojar luz sobre en qué fase de desarrollo digital nos encontramos.
Propondré medidas inmediatas de actuación en diversas reuniones, centradas particularmente en la creación de un banco de recursos de centro (elaborado por alumnado),ya en marcha gracias a la revista digital impulsada por nuestras compañeras de lengua, latín y cultura clásica de ESO/Bachillerato.
Pretendemos reflotar una plataforma de lectura y escritura creativa para primaria en la que registrar al alumnado.
En cuanto se aprueben o no las iniciativas, arrancará nuestro Plan Digital de Centro.
Ilusionada y a la espera de poder colgar pronto la Insignia de formación que me dará el INTEF.

3 dic 2019

Marking marking marking

Dear families,
Here I am as busy as a honey bee trying to make the huge pile of tests I have on top of my desk smaller.
And what a better way to mark than listening to some music?
Kids in 6° have already enjoyed the beauty in a song I set as yesterday's compulsory listening activity.
While they were trying to figure out which the missing words in the gaps were, I felt blessed to see some of them playing their imaginary drums, tapping their feet on the floor and even dancing while sitting.
That is what English means to me:music.
So, wish me luck in my marking quest and simply enjoy my favourite song in Keane's brand new album (Cause And Effect).
Here it goes:
Chase The Night Away
https://youtu.be/yRtUepmNe54

28 nov 2019

Advent Project 5°

Since Advent will start tomorrow,
we are devoting our project lessons in 5° to one concerning NGOs.
We realise it is vital to help as many people as possible.
Our English Department is going to use English as a way to get started about charity by carrying out:
1. Christmas Jumper Day.
2. English Project in 5° (Cooperative).
In it, we are dealing with these targets as a way to put an end to our UDIS in the first term (Talking about our wishes: 'I would like...' and future plans -Going to...)

Task 1: Choose three NGOs from the UK (Elderly people as those getting some aid and support)
Task 2: Write a letter per team introducing yourself, both in English and Spanish (without any personal data in it).
Task 3: Make about 20 Christmas cards per team so that we can post them to those NGOs.
Task 4: Create and Advent calendar with 30 actions we can do in general to help those who are in need.
Task 5: Decorate the envelopes and post them to the NGOs!🎅
Here I post some pics of the process (tasks 3 and 4)













25 nov 2019

Sleeping bags for homeless people

I was just having a look around an Irish ezine (digital magazine) when I came across this outstanding group of elderly ladies in Canada.
They have copied an idea they once saw they were carrying out in Australia:
They make crochet sleeping bags for homeless people out of one use plastic bags.
I post the video in case someone at home does some crochet (I do) and want to try and go for it!
It is a good way to help others.
Ps: What a special Canadian lilt they have!
Enlace saco de dormir de plástico como recurso de emergencia para personas sin hogar:
https://diyways.com/how-to-crochet-single-use-plastic-bags-into-sleeping-mats-for-the-homeless/?fbclid=IwAR21ZEBFJQoH9iP1WCOiS1_mw7Qh9PeZ1OY1z3rZHAPR4Gss69Uk_Hi96r8

21 nov 2019

En días como estos...

En días de lluvia, no hay nada mejor que esto:
https://youtu.be/8LAVVGJtrRM
https://youtu.be/UWhxkHNrGgM

20 nov 2019

Happy Day, Kids!

It was back in 1959 when the UNESCO decided to proclaim the Convention on The Rights Of The Child.
We have devoted a few project sessions to "the right to get some education".
Our kids in 5° have coped with several tasks:
1. To set a name for your ideal school.
2. To build it up or draw it.
3. To describe the teachers in it, the subjects and timetable.
And here we have the outcome.
Well done, children!






13 nov 2019

Digital Citizenship

A few weeks ago we welcomed a special teacher among our school walls.
A police officer devoted 5 working days to our students in 6°.
The course, a 10 hour one was based on the relevance in making our kids aware of the risks concerning the internet.
They learned how to be safe while using it, how to raise some awareness about digital footprint, technoaddiction, cyberbullying, sexting, grooming, fake news, apps and games.
We were lucky to have such a gentleman with us to shed some light on how to do it properly.
We hope to see him next year.

Mercury Transit

Quoting 'Space.com':

'.. The tiny planet Mercury scooted across the sun's face today (Nov. 11) for the last time until 2032, and skywatchers around the world had the chance to witness the rare celestial event...'

Our student Manuel (6°) loves astronomy.
He was in charge of letting us know about this event.
We sat outside, wearing our solar (eclipse glasses) to try and grasp its subtlety.
Memories that will last thanks to him!
You shone, Manuel.

8 nov 2019

Alumnos que llegaron a su meta

Qué mejor manera de celebrar el fin de semana que con música.
Os adjunto el enlace de una de las canciones compuestas por Matt, quien fue mi primer alumno de bachillerato de español en Irlanda del Norte, allá por 2002.
Ya tocaba el acordeón en las funciones del colegio.
Ahora compone sus canciones y acaba de sacar disco con el grupo celta Boj, que lleva décadas en la música.
Toca el acordeón en él.
Os animo a apostar por las raíces celtas y a comprar "Lúa", el disco nuevo de Boj.
Orgullosa de Matt😊
https://youtu.be/EFKzdVp8xd0

31 oct 2019

Halloween

Como cada año, dedico una entrada a este día.
Más allá de polémicas, Halloween es una tradición que se remonta a nuestros antepasados celtas.
Se originó en Irlanda del Norte y Galicia como fiesta pagana dedicada al cambio de estación y la cosecha.
Todos los años explico en clase que no celebro Halloween a pesar de ser profe de inglés porque, tuve la inmensa suerte de vivir a una hora de donde la tradición marca que nació: Londonderry (o Derry, en Irlanda del Norte). Alli celebré Halloween dos años consecutivos y la sentí como auténtica. Aqui la siento artificial.
Es fácil sumergirse en el Samhain o Halloween en aquel lugar.
El paisaje viene definido por las nubes, la niebla y los cuervos acampando a sus anchas sobre las lápidas por las que caminas a diario para cualquier transacción bancaria, de camino al bar o a la biblioteca.
Es fácil vivir la tradición en barrios delineados por casas unifamiliares de inmensos ventanales, dos puertas y, levantarse con telarañas dignas de la "Araña Tecla" en los tendederos cada madrugada: ¡sorpresa!
El trick or treat es creíble cuando lo formulan niños de gorros de lana, coloretes y cabellera como el fuego.
El olor a turba de las chimeneas marca el preludio de la 'Bonfire Night' del 5 de noviembre, la fiesta de Guy Fawkes tan británica y latente en el Ulster.
Es entonces cuando me creo Halloween porque, no es la copia barata de los canales de televisión sino el agradecimiento de los irlandeses a su pasado celta,a los druidas y la alquimia.
Mientras resido en España, me apetecen más los buñuelos y parar el reloj para llevar flores a mis seres queridos.
Celebremos Halloween o no, os animo a investigar de donde viene y cómo ha llegado a nosotros.

7 oct 2019

SuperCool Homework W1.Listening 4°

We will choose (in pairs) a children song in a film we both like.
We will listen to it for 20 minutes. Then, you will copy the lyrics down and you then will replace three words per  sentences with icons or pictograms that depict that word.
Then, in the final 5 minutes, you will send the lyrics to your parter, who will have to sing that song interpreting your symbols.
Pueden utilizar,con vuestra supervisión, esta aplicación estupenda destinada a facilitar la comunicación a chicos y chicas con rasgos del espectro autista (TEA).
Les encantará poder usarlo para crear sus pictogramas.
Está en español.
https://www.pictotraductor.com/

Hoy...