“Wake me up when September ends” Summer has come and passed... Here comes the rain again, falling from the stars... If you are a teacher, it is highly likely these are the lyrics you keep mumbling the last few days. After we return from our summer break, Green Day tends to be on top of most teachers' playlist. Don't get me wrong, it is not that teachers don't like new beginnings, meeting new students and starting all fresh, with a number of ideas how to get to those young minds put under their care. They do. But September also means paperwork. Lots of it. So, do wake us up when it ends. Students, on the other hand, should be humming to a whole different tune. They should be eager to come back. Especially the freshmen. Entering high school for the first time (even literally; with the electronic enrolment procedure some have never seen the building that is about to become their new home); meeting many new people - both colleagues and teachers and, possibly,

DID YOU KNOW - LABOR DAY

This holiday, celebrated in the US since 1887 on the first Monday in September,

is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic

achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the

contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of

their country. Traditionally, the day was observed with a street parade to exhibit

to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor

organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and

amusement of the workers and their families. Nowadays, the celebration is

slightly different, but the spirit remains the same. ▪ I.P.

Once upon a time in September 9/1/1939 - WW II started in Europe

9/2/1666 - The Great Fire of London began in a bakery in Pudding Lane

9/5-6/1972 - Eleven members of the Israeli Olympic Team were killed during an attack on the Olympic Village in Munich by members of the Black September faction of the Palestinian Liberation Army

9/9/1776 - The United States came into existence as the Continental Congress changed the name of the new

American nation from the United Colonies

9/ 11/2001 - The worst terrorist attack in U.S. history occurred

9/12/1990 - A treaty was signed by East and West Germany and the Allies of World War II allowing for the restoration of sovereignty to a re-unified Germany

9/15/1890 - British mystery author Agatha Christie (died in1976) was born in Torquay, England

9/19/1893 - New Zealand became the first country to grant women the right to vote

9/21/1949 - The People's Republic of China was proclaimed by its Communist leaders

9/29/1829 - Britain's "bobbies" made their first public appearance

9/30/1955 - Actor James Dean was killed in a car crash in California at age 24

making friendships that will last a lifetime. The older ones have had enough of resting and looking for something interesting to do (which usually doesn't come around until the last week of August), and can't wait to see their friends and hear what they did during the summer.

Whichever category you belong to, this is it.

Another school year has just begun and,

before we know it, we'll get back to our

routine. We hope you have charged your

batteries - because we sure have. And

though this number doesn't have the usual

eight pages we set as the standard during

the last school year - we believed you have

enough to read through anyway - don't

worry, we are back and have great plans for

the year to come. Enjoy September. It is

bound to be good.▪ I.P.

CONTRIBUTORS TO

THIS ISSUE:

Ivan Lukovečki, cartoon artist Dario Vidić, High School Čazma

Back to school 2

International Literacy Day

3

A New Year - A New Classroom

4

Monthly newsletter for and by English learners and teachers

Editors:

Maja Ivanović, prof. Komercijalna i trgovačka škola Bjelovar

Irena Pavlović, prof. mentor Srednja škola Čazma

email: sparkles.newsletter@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sparkles.ne

wsletter

Inside this issue:

September 2014

Issue 15/14

THIS MONTH’S BUZZ Page 2

WE WISH YOU AN AMAZING SCHOOL YEAR...

International Literacy Day has been observed by UNESCO on September 8 since 1966. Its aim is to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. So, each year on this day, with celebrations taking place around the world, UNESCO reminds the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally. Each celebration includes a specific theme, such as Literacy and Health, Literacy and Empowerment, Literacy and Peace and Literacy and Sustainable Development, which is the 2014 theme. UNESCO informs us that literacy is one of the key elements needed to promote sustainable development, as it empowers people so that they can make the right decisions in the areas of economic growth, social development and environmental integration. It is also a basis for lifelong learning and plays a crucial foundational role in the creation of sustainable, prosperous and peaceful societies. Every year many people from different areas of life take part in raising public awareness of the extraordinary value of the written word and of the necessity to promote a literate society and join some of numerous events organized both globally and locally to celebrate the day. ▪ I.P.

CHECK IT OUT! Have you heard this? Have you seen this? Have you read this?

STUDENTS’ CORNER

It’s not that Americans don’t believe in

propuh - we don’t even have a

concept for it. says Cody McClain

Brown, the author of Chasing a

Croatian Girl. This book, written by an

American who married a Croatian girl

is an amazing insight into our culture -

if you have ever wondered how

foreigners see us and what they really

think of us, this is a perfect opportunity

to get all the answers. While rolling on

the floor laughing... ▪

I.P.

FOLLOW THIS LINK AND TRY OUT THE

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES. YOU'RE BOUND

TO MASTER ENGLISH WORD ORDER IN NO

TIME!

http://www.engames.eu/svompt-

word-order-english/

Britain’s very own singer-songwriter

George Ezra’s debut studio

album Wanted On Voyage was

released on 30 June 2014. It includes

the singles "Did You Hear the Rain?",

"Budapest", "Cassy O'" and "Blame It

on Me". George has captivated us with

his amazing voice and lyrics which

hide several layers of meaning left

for the listeners’ interpretation. Every

time you hear a song, you can

uncover something new... Amazing!

▪ M.I.

Divergent is a 2014 American SF

action film directed by Neil Burger,

based on the bestselling novel

by Veronica Roth. The story takes

place in a dystopian post-

apocalyptic version of Chicago where

people are divided into distinct factions

based on human virtues. Shailene

Woodley plays Beatrice Prior, who is

warned that she is Divergent (different)

and will never fit into any one of the

factions. She soon learns their perfect

society is not so perfect after all... ▪

M.I.

Page 3

A New Year - A New Classroom

The start of a new school year always gives us a chance to try new

things and maybe even “start over” with our students.

Use the beginning of September to reflect on what is and isn’t working

within your classroom. Try to identify these things and then

brainstorm ideas on how to keep the good going and reconfigure the

bad. Some research has shown that making so called New Year's

Classroom Resolutions usually has something to do with some of the

following issues...

1.Organizing theme materials

Binders, bags, expanding file folder tote... Whatever system you

choose, it will help you organize materials and save time in the future.

2. Re-evaluating student goals

Are you sure you are meeting your students' needs? Perhaps some

of the ways the goals you are trying to achieve in the past were not

well defined and you'd want to make some of them more clear as to

what is expected of the student.

3. Planning additional embedded instruction

This is especially important for students with special needs since we

need to consider every moment of the day as a learning

opportunity. Embedded instruction is accomplished by identifying

times and activities when instructional procedures designed for

teaching a child's priority learning targets are implemented in the

context of ongoing, naturally-occurring activities, routines, and

transitions in the classroom. ▪ I.P.

TEACHERS’ CORNER

CPD in ten minutes or less

Do you like Ms. MacMeekin piktochart we're

bringing this month? If so, why not open https://

magic.piktochart.com/output/576108-create-

your-own? We often step into a teaching

situation with an idea about how it will go, with a

clear picture in our mind. But it doesn't always

go that way. Why not get some of the story out

of your head and onto paper? The piktochart

has clickable parts you'll find both useful and

amusing.