ol nal Scho Intern atio
EDITORIAL NOTE by Joana Braga dos Reis
we are having in our students’ lives. It’s a time to focus in our classroom practice and readjust our techniques and approaches in order to improve our lessons.
Starting a new year is often a time for reflection. A time to look a tour life and decide future changes. To wonder what will be different over the next twelve months?
Personally, I am looking forward to focusing my efforts in evaluating how effective is our school and our classroom practices and where we can make the biggest differences.
As education professionals we must evaluate the impact
Meanwhile, enjoy this issue of Blazon!
Cultural Corner - Wales by Teresa Viscusi
Have you ever heard about the legend of the Welsh dragon? Well, our Preschoolers, thanks to our Welsh intern Luci, have. It was a rainy Wednesday when Miss Luci came into our class and brightened our day with this lovely legend. Our students really enjoyed being an active part in the story. The girls, in turn, played the role of the princess while the boys were the king. Some of them performed as the dragon and they especially liked when they acted as a white dragon freezing their peer. Luckily, the red fire dragon woke up from his hibernation and put all the things in order. After this, his village could live happily ever after. After learning all about this fascinating and cultural legend, the crafts began! We transformed a simple toilet roll with googly eyes and tissue paper into our very own Welsh dragon. What a flaming delight!
the Blazon 1 first Edition 2021 * Astoria International School
Kindergarten New Learning Methodology by Bambi Pomagalski
As many will surely agree, the year 2020 was like none other! Whilst there have been bumps in the road, we have seen plenty of innovation and change around the world too. Where this innovative change is concerned, our Astoria Kindergarten has been a prime candidate! Off the back of a teaching internship with Astoria, I was honoured to be given the opportunity to not only teach Kindergarten but to redesign their English curriculum’s content and structure. I came with great passion for the task and tons of ideas waiting to be implemented! Making a move away from a textbook based teaching approach felt right for this age. Having spent a lot of time with the children already, it was very clear how naturally drawn they were to learning. This is the age of absorption, imitation and imagination after all! I decided I wanted to produce learning methods which felt more like play, something they were all eager to do! Drawing on visual, auditory and kinaesthetic elements, a TPR (total physical response) teaching method has
proven very popular with Kindergarten students. To put it simply, the English language has been lifted from the textbook and is now being performed (with great enthusiasm and dramatics) directly in front of the class. Providing students with this educational ‘show’ everyday, a show that they become familiar with and start to partake in. English language is becoming a natural and fun interaction for them. An entire term has now gone by and the results have been impressive! Firstly, the enthusiasm shared between all the students has been noticeable. The classes now begin with laughter and cheer, setting the energy levels high and thus, the receptivity for learning, very high too. It has been the greatest pleasure to receive such positive feedback from parents in regards to an improvement in their child’s English usage and understanding. As time goes on, these promising results will only get better as the curriculum continues to develop in a way that best suits the children. We hope that you are as excited as we are to see this journey of learning blossom and grow!
Chr stmas Dec
rations
by Inês Campos
Christmas is our favourite time of the year! Can you smell it in the air? We’re so happy! For our parents… an amazing postcard! Given that we are born artists and poets, that task was promptly finished. What to do with the leftovers… What to do? What about Christmas decorations? YES! The material list was simple, it included paper, scissors, glue and pens. The boys wanted to design wreaths and the girls went on a different direction. They decided to make baubles for their Christmas trees. In conclusion, the students let their creativity flow and we had such a wonderful time. Now it’s time to rest and enjoy our Christmas holidays. Merry Christmas!
the Blazon 1 first Edition 2021 * Astoria International School
Erasmus+ Change Your Life Open Your Mind by Joana Braga dos Reis
Change your life, open your mind, is an Erasmus+ project based on the idea that it is vital for teachers to remember their role as educators in general, as reformers of characters, as promoters of values and human rights, as open minded people who have to inculcate in their pupils the respect for other cultures, a positive attitude towards people of other religions, countries and with different life style. Us being an International School made perfect sense to participate and share our vision and methodologies with the other partner schools.
We have had the chance to visit the Italian partner school in Erice, Sicily, which was a very interesting experience. We learnt a lot about their culture and we were able to spend some time with the students outside the school grounds where they took us on a tour.
Furthermore, we have visited our Irish partners in Galway. This experience was beautiful, we’ve had the chance to understand so much more of their educational system, their methodologies and approaches, and to visit their lovely school. We felt welcomed as if we were visiting family.
The partners also had the chance to come and visit our school in Portugal and from what we’ve heard they felt welcomed and loved spending time with our students. The partners enjoyed the surprises we have prepared for them. Especially, the song recording and the wish tree craft. Another common goal is to read and create activities for the book “The boy at the back of the class” by Onjali Q. Rauf. Together we will continue working towards a positive and inclusive attitude.
the Blazon 1 first Edition 2021 * Astoria International School
Fun and Games Q: Why did the student eat his homework?
Find the 5 differences
A: Because the teacher told him it was a piece of cake.
Q: What did the science book say to the Math book? A: Wow, you've got problems.
Sudoku
Q: What time do ducks wake up? A: At the quack of dawn.
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Upcoming Events Valentine's Day Carnival Easter Book Club
COLLEGE LONDON Registered Exam Centre 53748
the Blazon 1 first Edition 2021 * Astoria International School