Connecting Classrooms: ENA Cluster - Newsletter, N. 1 - English version

January 2012

CC .EN A Cl uster Connecting Classrooms (CC)

Volume 1, Edition 1, English version

Presentation The Connecting Classrooms is

same schools will meet in Tibães,

a project promoted by the British

in an event organized by Escola

Council with the Portuguese support of the Education Bureau

EB2,3 de Mosteiro e Cávado to celebrate Multiculturalism.

through the General Directorate

In June we will try to pro-

of Innovation and Curriculum Development, and the Portuguese Youth Institute, involving

Young leaders training— October, © Cristina Santos

twenty schools from European countries. This partnership began

goal of having an important visi-

in 2010/2011.

bility at school and in the Portu-

The Portuguese partnership has been developed with three European TwinSpace >>>>>

Contents:

countries:

Greece,

Czech Republic and the United Kingdom. There are two main

30 January

2 2

CC Hymn

4 5

International Day of Disabled People

5

News from Czech Republic

7

A caring school

7

Math, Yes you can

8

the importance of tolerance, mutual respect, solidarity and respect for human rights.

Cluster) and another in the south

tions will take place on thirtieth

(OI Cluster).

January- Connecting Classrooms

a curriculum context and it is ing to the group work between partners through the use of vir-

Connecting cultures

sitize the most people possible to

Having this in mind, three ac-

about the inclusion issue, appeal-

Open CC Day

guese society, so that it can sen-

clusters: one in the north (ENA

The CC has been developed in th

mote a sports event, in Braga,

Day; on sixteenth March – Multiculturalism ―My world is as big as

participation, with the aim of raising funds for a Solidarity Institution, the APPACDM. The CC wants to stir people’s consciousness and appeal to the importance of the solidarity value.

Let us wish that many students from the ENA cluster arouse before the positive stir of consciousnesses and lead their lives by the solidarity, tolerance, and inclusion values and respect for the Human Rights.

what I know‖; and on eighth June

This is the first number of a bi-

– ―We want to help!‖ (fund rais-

monthly Newsletter that wishes

ing campaign for the APPACDM).

to promote some actions that

tual spaces provided by the Inter-

On thirtieth January 2012,

net. This year many actions will

ENA cluster schools will dedicate

take place in each school. How-

the day to the promotion of the

ever, some will occur simultane-

project and will join the School

ously, at the Portuguese schools

Day of Non-Violence and Peace.

from the ENA cluster with the

that will count on the population

have taken place or will take place in a near future at ENA cluster schools. We will be open to the sending of suggestions by email (espl.connecting@gmail.com).

On sixteenth March, the

Teresa Lacerda

The School Day of Non-violence and Peace The School Day of Nonviolence and Peace has been celebrated worldwide since 1964 on January 30 and aims at calling attention for

the importance of a lifelong education for non-violence and peace.

This year, the Portuguese schools from the ENA

cluster

have decided to celebrate this day together with the schools of their partnership (Greece, Republic Czech and London). [cont. page 2, 3]

Page 2

C C . ENA C lus te r The School Day of Non-violence and Peace / open CC day ... … at Escola Secundária Dr. Joaquim Gomes Ferreira Alves ...

To

Exhibition room >>>>>

start

the

opening

day

symbolizing peace and hope. We

‖Impressões‖ promoted by stu-

―Connecting Classrooms‖, stu-

will also launch white balloons

dents from the 12th grade of

dents will sing and play a version

with messages inside referring to

―Humanidades‖.

of the song ―Imagine‖ from John

peace, inclusion and cultural di-

from ―Turismo‖ will make the

Lennon along with a choir of

versity in several languages and

protocol of the day. We will

students from the 8th grades.

with an email address for even-

build a mural with the sentences

tual answers.

sent in the balloons and others

The school activities will stop for

The

students

to be completed.

about 25 minutes so that all the

Throughout the morning, images

school can partake in this activity

under the theme ―We are the

That day, a cinema cycle will be

which will consist of an human

Others‖, from the documentary

started with themes related to

lace in the outdoor school space

―Babies‖, will be broadcast on

the Connecting theme ―We are

constituted by all the participat-

the school LCDs. The report of

the Others‖ – films such as

ing students, school staff and

the events will be made by the

―Gran Torino‖, ―Billy Elliot‖,

students from the unity of autists,

students from ―multimedia‖ and

―Desert

all dressed in white and green,

by

―Kandahar‖, ―Invictus‖ will be presented for four weeks.

the

School

Newspaper

Flower‖,

Water‖,

Tv GFA >>>>>

… at Escola Secundária Carlos Amarante ...

At Carlos Amarante High School, within the activities, there will be a human chain all around

the

whole

school

building.

Also as part of the activities to celebrate this day, the CC Radio GFA >>>>>

“Since wars begin

launched a digital poster competition to raise awareness in the school community, and the winners will be awarded.

in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed”.

(Prologue of the UNESCO Constitution )

… at Escola EB2,3 de Matosinhos...

On

―Connecting

Opening

Day

A Human Ribbon will be built-up,

One of the main goals of the

promotional

in order to promote Non-

project is the one of solidarity.

video of the project will be shown, as well as other works

Violence and Peace at schools, and bracelets, which

This is the reason why we will present the APPACDM

done by students who belong to

will identify the members of

(Portuguese Association of Par-

ENA Cluster’s schools, during

―Connecting Classrooms‖ com-

ents and Friends of the Mental

the

munity, will be also delivered

Handicap Citizen), an institution

among the CC members.

which ENA Cluster’s schools will

Teen

[>>>].

a

Classrooms‖

Leaders’

training.

try to support, during this school year.

Page 3

Volum e 1, Ed ition 1 , Engli sh ver s ion

… at Escola Secundária da Póvoa de Lanhoso... been spreading everywhere, as well as for the need of everybody’s cooperation in the resolution of this social illness. The main purpose is to call everyone’s attention for an active role in order to defend the Human Rights and to promote the Peace.

Thus, teachers will explore some videos aboutBullying, Cyber Bullying and Human Rights.

On 30th January teachers will motivate students for the importance of our actions in order to fight the ―Bullying‖ and ―Cyber bullying‖ problems, which have

purpose, a big Human Ribbon will be held in the open school yard in order to call the attention of all the members involved to the importance of being an active citizen to build up a world of PEACE. A tshirt with the slogan ―I took the anti-bullying pledge‖ will be given to every school members who will get together for the Human Ribbon. To complete this activity, two groups

The School Community of Póvoa

of students will play two perform-

de Lanhoso Secondary School

ances with messages against School

will get together joining those

Violence, as a manifesto. These t-

who are likely to be victims of

shirts will be delivered in the school

school violence. To reach this

building .

“There is no way to peace. Peace is the way! ” Mahatma Gandhi

… at Escola EB2,3 de Paranhos ...

Oslo, Norway, 22 July 2011 AFP - Two

intends to honour the victims of the

attacks on Friday in the region of Oslo

slaughter in Utoeya.

shook Norway with the news of 87 killings, as the result of an action perpetrated by a right wing extremist against the labour party. Witnesses of the

“We say no to fear,

attack in the island of Utoeya revealed

We say no to violence,

that the aggressor - a man with Nordic

In the silence you hear,

features and that spoke norwegian shot against the victims, the majority of which were youngsters (France Press).

Hidden in each tear Lies the power of tolerance!”

The Human Lace in EB 2,3 Paranhos

Fátima Veiga, EB23 Paranhos

Utoeya

… na Escola Secundária de Caldas das Taipas … & … EB2,3 de Mosteiro e Cávado Caldas das

the School yard. Slogans and

students. There will also be a

books, so that they can ex-

T aip as

S ec on d ar y

thoughts against School Violence

digital presentation about impor-

plain the role of the project

School’s

entrance, informa-

will be shared. The ―Connecting

tant personalities worldwide who

―Connecting Classrooms‖ to

tion about the project will be

Classrooms’ Hymn

[>>>] will

were recognized by their struggle

the

shown through pictures and vid-

also be sung by the school com-

for the Peace in the World. This

main purpose of this

eos on the wall collected by the Teen Leaders, in order to give

munity.

activity will take place in the

activity is to inform the

All day long, in

information related to Friendship, Integration and Diversity in the School Community.

Ângela Pereira, ESCT In Mosteiro

and Cávado

Compulsory School a A Human Heart of 100

students

will be organized in

recital of the poem ―If‖, by Rudyard Kipling, will be recited by

Students’ Room; an exhibition of photos and brief biographies of well-known

personalities

re-

searched by the students, will be shown in the School Library; a leaflet will be put in the teachers’

several

classes.

The

students about the importance of the project in the development of well-formed, active, critical citizens, as the main agents for a better society.

Page 4

C C . ENA C lus te r Connecting Classrooms: connecting cultures

Blog - EB2,3 do Cávado >>>>>>

The notion of six degrees of

the social network is 4.74.

blog. That is what Esco-

separation between any two

Thus, we can conclude that

laBásica do Cávado has done.

people stems from a research

ICT, and particularly the so-

You can have a look at our

performed in the 1960s by

cial networks, are an effective

Christmas Campaign by con-

communicate,

the American social psycholo-

way to communicate with

sulting our Blog:

Connecting

gist Stanley Milgram. Six de-

other people, to share ideas,

http://

grees of separation is the the-

to discuss different points of

connecting-

ory that anyone on the planet

view.

cavado.blogspot.com/

can be connected to any

By using ICT to communicate,

Perhaps Stanley Milgram was

other person on the planet

Connecting Classrooms project

wrong… perhaps there is no

“By using ICT to

Classrooms project approximates

through a chain of acquaintan-

approximates students from

such thing as six degrees of

students from

ces that has no more than five

different schools both in Por-

separation…if we work to-

different schools

intermediaries. According to

tugal and in Europe. Different

gether nothing can or will

a study by Facebook and the

pupils in a distant country can

tear us apart…

University of Milan, the aver-

share their work and experi-

Cristina Gonçalves,

age number of steps it takes

ences by using, for example,

Escola EB2,3 de Mosteiro e

to link any two individuals on

the TwinSpace platform or a

Cávado

both in Portugal and in Europe.”

Page 5

Volum e 1, Ed ition 1 , Engli sh ver s ion

IF [… share in EB2,3 de Mosteiro e Cávado] If you can keep your head when all about you

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings,

But make allowance for their doubting too:

And never breathe a word about your loss:

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

Or being hated don't give way to hating,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can dream---and not make dreams your master;

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim,

Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch,

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

And treat those two impostors just the same:.

If all men count with you, but none too much:

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;

And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling (30th December 1865 – 18 January 1936 / Bombay)

Connecting Classrooms Hymn

... Also at Escola Secundária Carlos Amarante

CHORUS Think of things you want to do Think of things that make you smile And forget your troubles for a while

Lecture on International Day of Disabled People

Here there’s so much to do But you can have fun, too Here you can take a break and chill out Actually, we know this is what life is all about (Chorus) Here you can visit places Try new things and see new faces Working out mobility to restyle again society Curbing down all prejudice refusing bullying and cowardice (Chorus) Dive into diversity Think of solidarity The world is out there, so bright and so new The world is waiting for me and for you.

CC Hymn composed by César Silva and song lyrics by 10ºPDM & 10ºPCC 2010-11

On last December 2, 2011, a lecture entitled "Terminology on Disability in the Era of Inclusion" was held in the auditorium of our school as part of the activities to celebrate the International Day of Disabled People. This event allowed us to present some CC's activities to be carried out during this school year.

School day Among many other initiatives to celebrate our school the Connecting Classrooms Project organised a "Cultural Display" – a stand of typical dishes from different countries, language and literature, folk music and dance. Students from different countries attending classes in our school talked about their places and traditions and discussed multicultural sensitive issues in a round table debate.

Adelina Moura, ESCA

Page 6

C C . ENA C lus te r Connecting Classrooms activities in ESFGA Along the first term, under the project Connecting

nosso direito à vida cumprindo o nosso dever de cidadãos do mundo”.

Mahatma Gandhi

and illustrations will be previ-

students

made poems

(some turned

The School Day (GFA Day). There

into songs) about the themes

were also expositions of stu-

―The Importance of the Lan-

dents’ works about cultural di-

guages among the People‖ and

versity and tolerance, again an

―We are the Others‖, which will be published on the school page.

initiative from Philosophy. The students of the elementary and

What’s more,

the students

of arts will contribute with drawings for the creation of an e-book.

The students of the 12th grade have presented their research on PowerPoint about Valadares, Portuguese Language Varieties, Portuguese Culture/ Gastronomy, Portuguese around the World, Differences between the British and Portuguese culture, under the theme ―Here We are‖, once we are only starting the project this year.Moreover,

Students

from basic and secondary education participated in a volunteering initiative in aid of the 'Against Hunger' / Food Bank campaign

“Um homem não

and took photographs. The stu-

pode fazer o certo

the event along with a video.

numa área da vida,

marks. Some of these sentences

the

Classrooms,

“Só engrandecemos o

which were printed on book

dents will make a report about Furthermore,

the students

ously impressed on T-shirts for

secondary

educations

partici-

pated in debates in Civic Education about the theme Social Descrimination

and Networks. We

registered the event with photographs of the students defending their causes in a debate for the project ―Youth Parliament‖. Our school also went along with the project ―Sala de Estudo‖ (Study Room): after the classes schedule, volunteer students from 10th, 11th and 12th grades are helping students from 7th to 9th grades with their homework and school tests at the school library.

Along term,

the

second

we will organize our

for our students’ works and news of the project. Workshops from Espaço T and a conference about multiculturalism are due to take place. In philosophy and online page

from

Prof essional

enquanto está

Courses

organized a show to

ocupado a fazer o

raise funds for the volunteer

in articulation with English, the Human Rights will be translated and debated. The works done by the students will be published on

firefighters from Valadares. In

the school page.

errado em outra. A

philosophy, under the theme

vida é um todo

lating with the Project Workshop of Ideas, the arts students from

indivisível”.

Mahatma Gandhi

―We are the Others‖ and articu-

the 10th and 11th grades illustrated sentences from other students of the same grades

Within the project Workshop of Ideas, a contest with debate and videos direction about the Problems of the Contemporary World and We and Others: participation

and citizenship has already been regulated. 12th grade students from ―Áreas de Expressão‖ are preparing a theatre play which they will present, in St. Valentine’s Day, to the users of the institutions where they will do their internship (mostly retirement homes). The activity will be opened to the community and they will be selling love cookies.

The Environment theme will be dealt with in English subject by 11th grade students with powerpoint presentations and the organization of a study visit. The 11th graders from ―Técnicas Laboratoriais‖ have organized a visit to the local television/radio where they will record a film/ podcast in English presenting themselves and giving their opinion about some social/human problems. In history, agroup of work of 8th graders will be formed in order to recover local estate ( water-mills, typical of the place ).

On the School Day, 2nd March, we planned to prepare panels with the themes of the project and we are going to propose the writing of a sentence or a drawing to the students who will visit us. The mural will have a digital and global side, the ―Multimedia‖ students will photograph the outcome right away and publish it on our masterblog. The sentences written by the visitor students will also be published in our blog and projected ―live‖. We are going to ask the teachers of our visitor schools to bring something about their community as well: for example, a photo of their folklore, the activities of voluntary organizations or collectivities, so that we can publish them with a subtitle on the so called global space.

Helena Reis - Escola Secundária Dr. Joaquim Gomes Ferreira (ESFGA)

Page 7

Volum e 1, Ed ition 1 , Engli sh ver s ion

EB2,3 de Matosinhos: A caring school

News from… ...Czech Republic

The project "Uma Escola Solidária"

Christmas workshop (12/2011) The Chrudim Business Academy students (the Czech school involved in the British Council project, Connecting Classrooms) organized a Christmas workshop for the attendees of the Day Care Centre “Jitrenka”. They made together Christmas cards and Christmas decorations. BA students also invited their friends to the café run by them in the practical project for the school subject Enterprise.

was designed jointly by the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Integrated Mediation Team of the Escola Básica de Matosinhos, with the help of social worker Claudia Gomes.

This project was developed during the Christmas season and aimed to assist the poorest households in our area, meaning those with the highest rate of unemployment, poverty and social exclusion. Thus, during a period of two weeks, we

Sports festival in Chrudim (10/2011) In October students from the Business Academy in Chrudim (the Czech Republic) together with other students from four Czech schools involved in the British Council project, Connecting Classrooms held a festival for physically and mentally disabled attendees of the Day Care Centre "Jitrenka" and the House of Social Services.

A group of English students from Churchill Community College helped them with the preparations and organization. The festival was a great success and all participants enjoyed it very much. We are all looking forward to meeting again in autumn 2012.

The day before the festival the Business Academy students together with the group of English students visited “Jitrenka”. They watched a performance prepared by its attendees and made together decorations out of clay and weaved baskets.

proceeded to collect a large amount of food that was later distributed to 44 families who have expressed serious economic needs, taking into account the number of factors that were affecting each household.

It is important to mention that this act of social solidarity has gone through several phases before proceeding to the subsequent development and delivery of parcels, to be designated: identification of potentially needy families by the teachers; appeal for contributions by the school community through the designing of posters by the 7th grade classes; promotion of a bazaar by the 9th grade classes; and analysis and selection of the families that would be helped by this project by the social worker Claúdia Gomes.

In short, I must commend the efforts of all those involved in fostering and implementing this project, from students, teachers

Sarka Pudilova

and non-teaching staff who have worked hard

Business Academy in Chrudim Pictures—Business Academy in Chrudim, Czech Republic

to make this action a success. In terms of learning, the students who participated directly in the development of this project had the opportunity to develop skills such as sociability, responsibility, solidarity, initiative, cooperation and creativity.

Andreia Mendes Escola EB2,3 de Matosinhos

Pictures—Escola EB2,3 de Matosinhos

“In the great battles of life, the first step to victory is the desire to win” Mahatma Gandhi

Acknowledgements: Andreia Mendes, Cristina Gonçalves, Conceição Ribas, Dulce Ventura, Fátima Veiga, Helena Reis, Isabel Friande & Manuela Lourenço.

(Thanks for helping in translation)

Connecting Classrooms ENA Cluster Published by Escola Secundária da Póvoa de Lanhoso Rua da Misericórdia 4830-503 Póvoa de Lanhoso espl.connecting@gmail.com Telef: 253 633 338

British Council - Porto Rua do Breiner, 155 4050-126 Porto Telef: 222 073 060 DGIDC - Ministério da Educação Av. 24 de Julho, 140 1399-025 Lisboa Telef: 21 393 45 00

Reading suggestions: Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen

by Rosa Sousa, Escola Secundária da Póvoa de Lanhoso SIBYLS Sibyls inside adamantine caves, Totally loveless and blind.

Feeding emptiness like a sacred fire While shadow dissolves night and day Into the same light of bodiless horror.

Bring out here that monstrous dew Of interior nights, the sweat Of powers tied to themselves When words strike the walls In blind swoops of trapped birds And the horror of having wings Screeches like a clock in the void. © Translation: 2004, Richard Zenith

Sophia de Mello Breyner

This edition had the collaboration of all ENA Cluster’s Schools.