newsletter spring summer 2015
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Saint Patrick
Who was St. Patrick? St. Patrick was a humble, pious, gentle man,
whose love, trust and total devotion to God were undeniable. He is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland and he converted the Irish to Christianity.
He was born in the 4th Century in Scotland. His parents were Romans living in Britain in charge of the colonies. At 14 he was captured and taken to Ireland as a slave to tend sheep. During his captivity, he turned to God in prayer. When he was twenty he escaped after having a dream from God in which he was told to leave Ireland. He found some sailors, who took him back to Britain. He had another dream where the Irish people begged him to return and walk among them once more. After studying to become a priest, he later became a bishop and went to Ireland. Patrick and his disciples preached and converted thousands and began building churches all over the country. Everyone converted to Christianity when hearing Patrick's message. After doing some miracles, he died at Saul,
where he had built the first church. Source: http://www.catholic.org/ Carlota Rosa 9ºA
The English Newsletter Spring/Summer, 2015
Welcome!
This issue of the English newsletter is dedicated to Saint
Patrick’s Day, which was commemorated in our school on 17th of March. Here you will
find written assignments by
students, together with other information about this subject.
The newsletter also includes assignments done by students from
different levels, concerning a variety
of topics.
Finally, we have a challenge for you.
Check it out and drop us a line.
See you next time!
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Spring/Summer, 2015
ST. PATRICK´S DAY - TRADITIONS
St. Patrick´s Day is celebrated every year on March 17th, honouring the Irish patron saint, St. Patrick.
People all over the world celebrate St. Patrick's Day, especially places with large Irish-‐American communities. Feasting on the day features traditional Irish food, including corned beef, corned cabbage, coffee, soda bread, potatoes, and shepherd's pie. Many celebrations also hold an Irish breakfast of sausage, black and white pudding, fried eggs, and fried tomatoes. Common traditions include:
§ Parades -‐ This event is most often associated with the holiday. Cities that hold large parades include Boston, New York,
Philadelphia, New Orleans, Savannah, and other cities worldwide.
§ Drinking -‐ Since many Catholics are Irish-‐American, some may be required to fast from drinking during Lent. However, they are allowed to break this fast during the St.
Patrick's Day celebrations. This is one cause for the day's association with drinking heavily.
§ Dying water or beer green -‐ Chicago dies its river green for the festivities, and many bars serve green-‐dyed beer. The White House fountain is also dyed green.
§ Other incorporations of green -‐ In Seattle, the parade routes are painted in green. Observers are supposed to wear green or else risk being pinched. Parade floats and decorations will feature the colour green.
§ Religious services -‐ Those who celebrate the holiday in a religious context may also hold a feast. Outside of this context, overindulgence tends to revolve around drinking.
§ Pea planting -‐ In the Northeast, many celebrate by planting peas. This is largely due to the colour and time of year (prime pea-‐planting conditions.
Source: http://www.wilstar.com Maria Antónia Andrade 9ºA Nº15
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Spring/Summer, 2015 St. Patrick´s Day The wearing of green… According to some accounts, blue was the first colour associated with St. Patrick’s Day, but that started to change in the 17th century. Green is one of the colours in Ireland’s tri-‐colour flag and it has been used in the flags of several Irish revolutionary groups throughout history. Ireland is the “Emerald Isle,” so named for its lush green landscape. Green is also the colour of spring, the shamrock, and the Chicago River, which the Midwestern city has dyed
green on St. Patrick’s Day for the past 40-‐odd years. Source: http://www.csmonitor.com Fátima Santos nº8 9B
Saint Patrick’s Day Soup with Shamrock Shaped Cheese Croutons
Ingredients:
• 60g butter • 2 medium white onions, chopped • 600g potatoes, peeled and chopped • Salt and pepper • 800ml vegetable or chicken stock • 240g sorrel leaves, shredded
Cheese Croutons : • 2 slices thick wholemeal bread • Olive oil or melted butter to brush on • 100g grated Irish cheese
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Spring/Summer, 2015
Preparation: To make the soup: Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and potato and cook gently, covered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt, pepper and stock and bring to the boil. Simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Add the sorrel leaves and cook for 5 minutes more. Liquidise the soup until smooth. To make the Cheese Croutons: Cut shapes from the bread and brush lightly with olive oil or butter. Grill on one side then turn over and sprinkle with the grated cheese and grill until cheese is melted. Place on top of the hot soup.
Research done by: Maria Paulina Silva 9ºA Source: www.bordbia.ie Irish sometimes referred to as Irish Gaelic or just Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European languages family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is spoken as a first language by a small minority of Irish people, and as a second language by a rather larger group. Here are some examples of Irish Gaelic and its equivalent in English. Scoil Leabhair
Pinn luaidhe Teaghlaigh
The Language(s) of Ireland
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Spring/Summer, 2015
Rothar Oráiste
Buachaill Cailín
Scaffolding, by Seamus Heaney
Masons, when they start upon a building, Are careful to test out the scaffolding; Make sure that planks won’t slip at busy points, Secure all ladders, tighten bolted joints. And yet all this comes down when the job’s done Showing off walls of sure and solid stone. So if, my dear, there sometimes seem to be Old bridges breaking between you and me
Never fear. We may let the scaffolds fall Confident that we have built our wall.
And now a bit of literature.
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Spring/Summer, 2015
Leprechauns The leprechaun is likely the most widely
known type of fairy living in Ireland.
Leprechauns have been in existence in Irish
legend since the medieval times. Traditionally,
leprechauns are tall fairies and often appear to
humans as an old man – much different from
the modern view of a small, childlike fairy in
a green suit. As legend holds, Leprechauns
love to collect gold, which they store in a pot and hide at the end of a rainbow. If a
human catches a leprechaun, the fairy must grant the human three-wishes before he
can be released. http://www.toptenz.net/top-‐10-‐irish-‐myths-‐and-‐legends.php
Love Story
Kaitlyn looked at the map and realized she was completely lost. She
decided to ask for help. She was walking around the forest when she
heard a strange sound from behind the trees. She turned around and saw
a little leprechaun with blue eyes and blond hair.
- Who are you? What are you doing here? – Kaitlyn asked.
- I’m Niall and I live here. – He answered.
- Why do you live here? Why are so small? How old are you? By the
way, I’m Kaitlyn.
- I live here, because I’m a leprechaun and we are small. I’m
seventeen years old and you?
- I’m sixteen years old. I live in Dublin and I was an a party and now
I’m lost but as you live here you can help me.
- Of course. Where do you want to go?
A Short Story based on an Irish Folk Legend
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Spring/Summer, 2015
- I want to get out of the forest.
The little boy guided Kaitlyn out of the forest. While they were
walking through the trees, they became friends. She heard her mother
calling for her and then she realized that it was just a dream. So she
woke up.
She tied her brown hair up in a ponytail. She looked at the mirror
on the wall of her bedroom and her grey eyes were shining with the sun.
She was smaller than the rest of the family. She was beautiful but she
was bullied at school. That was her teenage problem. She was bullied
because her classmates were jealous of her. She was the best student in
school.
When her mom left her at school, everyone gave her an unfriendly
looks. She was scared but she keeps going to classes.
In History, she wasn’t paying attention and her teacher asked her
if everything was alright and she said that everything was ok. After
school she went to Starbucks. She ordered a milkshake. When she turned
around to go to a table, a boy bumped into her, making her spill the
milkshake all over her clothes. She was angry until she looked at him. She
was shocked…it was the boy of her dream.
- What are you doing here? – She asked.
- I came to help you. I know everything they do to you at school.
After a long conversation, they became real friends. He started
going with her to school to protect her. Everybody was surprised
because he was handsome. For some weeks, Niall used to take her
home. One day, they were in the elevator and the atmosphere was
somewhat awkward. He wanted to kiss her but he was scared.
-Kaitlyn…
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Spring/Summer, 2015
She turned to him and he grabbed her and kissed her. After that
she stared at him in surprise.
-I’m sorry. – He said.
-It’s ok!
The elevator door opened and she got out.
At night, she was almost falling asleep, when she got a message.
She picked up the phone and started reading the message. “By the way, I
love u!” that was what the message said and it was from Niall.
The next day at school, she saw him and she ran to him.
-Sorry, I didn’t answer your message. – She said.
There was a deep silence, and then she looked in his big blue eyes,
and said:
-I love you too!
When she finished saying that, she kissed him. Everybody at school
was surprised with that moment.
He pushed her away and said, with a mysterious face:
-I need to ask you something. It’s very important!
Her big smile disappeared. She was very scared and nervous.
-What’s the matter?
-You…want to be my girlfriend?
She stared at him, and then she said yes.
Some months later, her problem with bullying was over because he
was there to protect her. But there was another problem: a girl was
jealous of their relationship. This girl was always threatening Kaitlyn.
Kaitlyn told Niall about this and they decided to move to Belfast. There,
they started a new life together.
Esmeralda Correia, Filipa Barbosa and Mariana Medeiros (10A)
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Spring/Summer, 2015
Some Movies about Ireland worth watching
Angela’s Ashes (1999), directed by Alan Parker, is based on the best selling autobiography by Irish expat Frank McCourt. It follows the experiences of young Frankie and his family as they try against all odds to escape extreme poverty in the slums of pre-war Limerick.
The Crying Game (1992), directed by Neil Jordan, is an outstanding movie that will enlighten you on the IRA (Irish Republican Army) and its terrorist activities in the UK.
Michael Collins (1996), also directed by Neil Jordan, is a biopic that tells the story of the Michael Collins, a.k.a. “the lion of Ireland”, his fight against British rule and the foundation of the Irish State (Eire) – The Republic of Ireland (1921).
Song of the Sea (2014), directed by Tomm Moore, tells the story of Saoirse, a child who is the last of the selkies, women in Irish and Scottish legends who transform from seals into people. She escapes from her grandmother's home to journey to the sea and free fairy creatures trapped in the modern world.
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Spring/Summer, 2015
The Fun Page
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Spring/Summer, 2015
The Students’ Corner
Daily Routines My Day at School I usually wake up at half past seven, then I go to the bathroom and I have a shower. After that, I get dressed and I brush my hair. At about a quarter to eight I have breakfast. At eight o’clock I go to school by car. I have classes until a quarter past one, then I have lunch in the school canteen. At two o’clock, I have other classes until a quarter to five. When I arrive home I eat a snack and then I do my homework. I usually watch TV before my mother arrives home. At eight o’clock I have dinner with my family. After that, I brush my teeth and I watch TV with my family before going to bed. At ten o’clock I go to sleep.
Margarida Castro, 8, 6B
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Spring/Summer, 2015
Argumentative Essay
Going to university has advantages and disadvantages. When students
finish high school they ask themselves: “Is it worth going to university?”
First of all, going to university requires spending a lot of money and there
are people who don’t have enough money to pay for university fees, books, food,
a place to stay, among other expenses. Some degrees imply that we invest several
years of our life. In addition, students have to stay away from their parents and
sometimes they can’t visit them.
On the other hand, going to university is important for our future, because
we can have a better life and our dream job. While we are studying, we grow up
and develop our skills.
In our opinion, taking a degree is important to have a good career or job
and a better lifestyle even if it requires many sacrifices. Therefore, we advise
other young people to follow their dreams and invest in their education.
Eunice; Marta (11B)
University Degree: an investment or a waste of time?
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Spring/Summer, 2015
Descriptive Report
In the middle of Atlantic Ocean, we can find the most beautiful island in
the world: Madeira. This island has a lot of fauna and flora, native traditions,
tasty food, culture, history and lovely people.
Madeira is located in the southwest of Portugal and has a population of
267 785 people. The official language in Madeira is Portuguese and its currency
is the Euro (€).
This island offers many places to go, for example: Pico do Areeiro, one of
the highest mountains of Madeira where we can see beautiful landscapes; São
Vicente caves and volcanism centre. In Porto Moniz you can swim in the Lava
Pools and you can visit the Theme Park in Santana. Also, you can visit the
recently opened CR7 Museum, where you can see the trophies of the best
football player of the world.
There are lots of things that we can do, like safari Madeira island tours,
catamaran trips, whale-‐ and dolphin-‐watching, “levada” walks, scuba diving and
sunbathing in the sandy beach in Porto Santo.
The weather in this island is a Mediterranean climate, but based on
differences in sun exposure and humidity and there are clear variations between
north and south-‐face.
In Madeira you can eat delicious local food and drinks. The most popular
food is “Espetada”, which is barbecued beef on a laurel skewer. Usually,
“espetada” is served with “bolo do caco”, a local home-‐made bread. In local bars
everybody should drink “poncha”, an alcoholic drink with schnapps, honey and
lemon juice. Nowadays, other fruit juices are used to make “poncha”, such as
passion fruit, tangerine, orange, etc. Finally, there is Madeira Wine, which all
tourists love.
To conclude, Madeira is rich in culture, entertainment, natural landscapes,
delicious food and lovely people. Carolina Andrade João Godofredo
Daniel Gonçalves
Madeira
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Luís Perestrelo (10A)
Spring/Summer, 2015 And the winner of the review challenge is….
Isalina Marcos (11B) And this is her prize!
Would you like to win this book? If you’re attending 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grades, this is for you!
E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars is thrilling, beautiful, and blisteringly smart and, therefore, it is utterly unforgettable. It is a haunting tale about how families live within their own mythologies. Lockhart has created a mystery with a surprising ending, so horrific that it will make you want to return immediately to page one to figure out how you missed it.
It’s easy. You just have to write a 180-‐word essay and post it on our blog. You can write about your hobbies and free time activities …
or about your plans for the upcoming summer holidays. Be original! Deadline: 8th June
anglogermanlucinda.blogspot.com
And Our Final Challenge of the Year….