FINAL BLOG-by Catalina Pelaez

FINAL BLOG

SUMMER IS HERE! It’s finally here. Just the word reminds me of light, friends, family, happiness… Summer, the favorite season of every student and worker, the season to relax, to think about you and what you’ve done, of new experiences, and, of course, new beginnings. The season where you really notice there’s oxygen in the air, and you really BREATHE (in capital letters).  

The course is ending, and holidays are just around the corner. During this school year, the students of ESO and Bachillerato have been asked to post each month an article in this blog, as an activity in order to improve our English. I think this is a really good idea and it helped me a lot; besides practicing our English, we have had a lot of fun writing the posts and reading the other students’ ones.

As a farewell, I wanted to write about an interesting news story that I read on the newspaper to wish you all to enjoy your summer! So, here it is:

An Italian teacher of Don Bosco High School in Fermo, which is a small town on the Adriatic Sea in northeasten Italy, called Cesare Catà, gave their students, instead of a lists of assignments to do, some advices encouraging them to enjoy life, read and dream about their future. Basing his teaching methods on Mr. Keating’s ones (Robin Williams’ character in the film ‘Dead poets society’), he alleged that that was ‘the best form of rebellion you have’. These are his suggestions for the summer: 

1. Take a walk along the seashore completely alone in the morning. Look the way sunlight is reflected on the water, think about the things you like the most in life, be happy.

2. Use some of the vocabulary we learned this year at class. Remember that the more things you’ll manage to say, the more you think. Likewise, the more you think, the freer you’ll feel.

3. Read as much as you can, but not only because you have to. Read because summer inspires you to dream, and it’s when you’re reading when you’ll feel like swallows in flight. Read because it’s the best way for rebellion you have (if you need advice, come see me)

4. Avoid the things and the people who make you feel empty, sad. Seek stimulating situations with friends who understand, enrich and appreciate you not only for how you look or what you have, but because for who you are as human.

5. If you feel sad, don’t worry! Summer, like everything in life, can throw your soul into confusion and sadness. Write daily a diary talking about how you feel (in September, if you like, we can read them together).

6. Dance, shamelessly. Forget about judgements; dance on a dance floor near your house, alone in your room. Summer is, indeed, dance, and it’s foolish not to take apart.

7. Watch, at least one, the sunrise. Just stay in silence, close your eyes, breathe, and be thankful.

8. Do sport!

9. If you like someone you meet, tell him or her as sincerely as you can. It doesn’t matter if the other one doesn’t understand or doesn’t love you back. If things happen this way, he/she wasn’t mean to be. Otherwise; summer 2015 will be a wonderful and golden time together (if it doesn’t work, go back to point 8).

10. Review your notes from our class, comparing the things we learned to the things that happen to you.

11. Be as happy as the sunlight, as untamable as sea.

12. Don’t swear, and always be a well-mannered and kind one.

13. Watch films with heartbreaking and breathtaking dialogues (is English if it’s possible) in order to improve your language skills and ability to dream. Don’t let the movie end: live it again in this summer experiences.

14. In sparkling sunlight or hot summer nights, dream about how you want your life to be. Do everything you want to, don’t give up, and pursue your dream.

15. Be a good person. 

See you next year and don’t forget to be happy and enjoy your summer! (follow Catà’s advices). 

SPORTS ACTIVITIES, SUITE FRANÇAISE & DREAMS -by Candi Vilar

 Sports activities

·       My opinion:

At present, I think the fact of making a sport activity is not at all a bad thing (obviously) but in my opinion this is a topic that includes many people and lifestyles. In my case since I was little I have been pushed towards sports so much, that now it's hard for me feel comfortable with any sport activity. I've been a few years without focus on any activity and my family and my doctor blamed my "anti-sports attitude" to the fact that I don´t grow as much as I should grow, and I honestly don´t think that was the reason because I know many tall people who don´t like play sports.

·        My doctor's opinion:

He thinks that if I had led a sporty life, now I would be a little taller, and wherever I see him, he tells me that I still have time but I need to know that sports is something good for me.

·         Conclusion:

Leading a healthy lifestyle where occasionally you take part in any sport would be ideal but don´t feel pressured if you see that sport is not for you.

Suite française (film)

A few weeks ago I went to the cinema because many people had recommended me a very good film based in the France occupied by the Nazis in the 40s (World War II).

The movie takes you back to a small family formed by Lucille Angellier and her mother-in-law, whose husband and son is a prisoner in the war, you can see when their peaceful lives are interrupted by a regiment of German soldiers, and for a obligation all the good French families from the region must accommodate a soldier at home. That's when the dramatic and short love story between Lucille and Bruno starts.

In my opinion this is a rather tough story especially for the large differences between the protagonists (besides the two protagonists are married and not together) .But I think that explains the hard life of that time very well where there were no happy endings.

In general I'd give this movie 3 out of 5 stars because there are some things that have not convinced me like its open ending or the role of secondary stories.

Why some dreams are remembered while others don´t?

The other day I read in the newspaper an article that caught my attention because it spoke of something that usually happens to us but we never have an answer. Normally this is a topic that people don´t understand but generally it creates interest.

The article was written by a psychologist specialized in the subject of dreams which he describes like a “difficult world to understand” for that he would like to focus only on because sometimes we remember dreams and other don´t.

He starts by saying that the main reason of the event that is basically how much we have impacted by the dream, so we tend to remember more nightmares than other dreams, but for him this isn´t the only reason and affirms another one but in this case physical produced by the brain mechanism that controls whether we remember or forget things when we are awake, is involved. All work was carried out in the University of Rome (Italy) which used an electroencephalogram (EEG) to monitor the brain activity of students as they slept.

In my opinion it is a very difficult subject to talk about, because it's something that we can´t control and there will always be doubts.

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS & FAMILY-by Sofía Montesinos

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

The fault in our stars is a novel written by John Green – the sixth in his career as author-, published in January 2012. The story is narrated by a young girl   of sixteen years of age call Hazel Grace, who suffers from lung cancer. She is forced by her parents to attend a support group for young people affected by disease, in which she gets to know and falls in love with a young man named Augustus Waters, who has had a leg amputated because of the osteosarcoma.  This is my favourite film that I have ever seen. 

❤Family, always the first thing❤

The most important thing that we have is family. Those are the people who help you; you are advised in everything and for everything.

And above all are the people who have been, are, and always will be with you both for the good and for evil and you know that for many discussions you always are going to be there for them and they for you, because that is the meaning of family and we have to cherish it and not have to go to extremes because you have to prove to them that you love them every day with facts not only with words, because as they say, the words are blown by the wind but the facts are forever.

BLOGS IN 4TH ESO-by Pedro Sánchez de Diego

BLOGS OF 4º ESO

This school year we started a new activity in english class. This activity consisted on making blogs about different matters.

At the begining, students thought this idea would be a mess but our english teacher organized everything and to make and send blogs was easier than it appears at the start. The only problem we had was some photos did not arrive correctly.

This activity has been a good idea because it helps us to increase our knowledge about various subjects.

In particular, to blog helped me to learn a lot of english vocabulary but also to learn a lot of things that I did not know about subject blogs. Moreover, blogs helped us to increase our english grade.

The blogs we have made this school year have been about a lot of different matters, mainly travels and films.

I have made serveral blogs but my favourite is the Istanbul blog. I travelled to Turkey two years ago with all my family and I had very nice experiences so it was easy and lovely to write about it.

Finally, I believe that although it is difficult to write a blog in english (like this blog), in the school this year has had very good blog entries.

I hope everybody enjoys this blog.

PRODUCTIVE SUMMER-by Bibiana Bermúdez

Productive Summer
This summer I’ve decided that it would be useful to use my time in a correct way. It’s nice to disconect, however I should start to do something productive since I’m getting older and older...My parents told I could work at their offices helping their staff, but I think I should have something in my curriculum that will make me stand out, and that will help me in the future, for example charity work in an exotic place like Thailand or Fiji Islands. As well as charity work I will have the chance to practice new sports and enjoy new experiences. I like the fact of helping people who don’t have the same opportunities as I do in life and I would like to contribute by helping as much as I can. This isn’t a difficult project for me since both my parents agree to help me overcome my aims and I have full support from my family. My parents have decided that I should go to Costa Rica with an organisation called Rustic Pathways to help on various projects they have, such as construction envolving houses, new hospitals, shops etc. Also, teach children and adults how to read and write in English and Spanish, feeding the homeless people and cooking. But also, I will have some free time to go scooba diving, surfing, hiking and many other activities with the friends I make there. This project will give me a chance to live new experiences and live life as it is on the other side of the world. I will have a chance to really see how hard life can be for others and it will always be a feeling that will stay with me forever. I think that this journey will form part of my childhood and I will start to be more greatful with what I achieve in life and with the opportunities I get. It will also make me feel proud of myself because I will have been helping people who are in need and I will see some smiles on faces because of me. My aim is to help as much as possible and make people happy. I’m also looking forward to it since it’s all new for me and it’s the first time I go so far away without my parents. For once, I will feel very independant and self-suffcient.

DISNEYLAND PARIS-by Reyes Alonso

DISNEYLAND PARIS

In April I went to Disneyland with all my family. By then, I had already been to Disneyland  when I was six. This time I went because my brother hadn't had the oportunity to go. We stayed at the Disneyland París Resort * for 4 days , from thursday to sunday. The first thing we did when we got to the hotel was to look around at all the facilities the hotel had, then we went to the park to check all the attracions.

In my opinion, we weren't very lucky because it was raining all the time! The good thing was that we brought a raincoat and most of the attraccions were inside a building so it wasn't too bad. 

-Friday: The park is divided in 4 places : Aventureland, Fantasyland Fortierland and Discovery land so on Friday we went to Aventureland and Fantasyland: it took us a lot of time to get there because we got lost many times, but finally we made it! When we were there , we got on in almost all the attraccions even though it was raining.

-Saturday: On saturday it stopped raining for a bit. We went to Frontierland and Discoveryland. My brother loved Discoveryland because there is a attraccion were you have to drive a car and he loves that! Also on Sunday we went to Walt Disney studios(the other half of the park)

-Sunday: On sunday we stayed at the Walt Disney studios, we saw all the spectacles and attractions until 6pm, when we had to go back to the hotel and pack all our things so that at 9pm we were at the airport.

It was a very nice holiday.

PROM TRIP: MERIDA-by Marta Azcoitia

Prom trip: Merida

This year with the school we went one week before Easter to a trip in which we visited different Spanish and Portuguese cities.

Merida is one of the cities we visited. Located in Badajoz, it is very famous for the ancient roman ruins that have been found on it, this is because it was an important roman city named Augusta.

Augusta Emerita was founded in 25 a.c. for the veterans soldiers of V Alaudae and X Gemina by Octavio Augusto. It became one of the most important cities of Hispania as it had lots of commodities and it was the capital of Lusitania.

Merida’s theater and amphitheater are the most famous monuments of the city. We had the chance to visit these spectacular ruins and learn about them. What makes them very special is that they are almost perfectly conserved although lot of people and years have passed over them.

WHO IS EMINEM?-by Natalia Borrueco

WHO IS EMINEM?

Eminem is the stage name of Marshall Bruce Mathers whose professions are rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor.

He was born on October 17th of 1972 in St. Joseph, Missouri; unfortunately, he had a really bad childhood, mostly because of his parents and his economic situation. He grew up in one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Michigan without his father who doesn’t give a damn about him so his mother and his grandmother raised him. However, the person who truly acted as a mother was his grandmother, Betty Kresin, because Deborah Mathers-Briggs had too many problems with drugs. Eminem declares these arguments about his mother in consequence of what she told him; she blamed Eminem of the suicide of his uncle who had tendency to commit suicide even when the uncle and Eminem were best friends because they were the same age (his grandmother was pregnant at the same time his mother was). After this horrible event, Eminem lost contact with his mother and never ever saw her again.

The times when he was just a teenager were very hard but his ‘’bad luck’’ doesn’t end here.

If we talk about his sentimental life we could say that he had a girlfriend since he was 14 years old while the girl was only 12 years old. This relationship was full of fights but also with flashy reconciliations. They were married from 1999 to 2000, at that moment Eminem requested the divorce though they were together again at the end of the same year that they had broken up. On the other hand, Kim was the one who requested the divorce for second time in 2001. For Eminem this relationship was terrible but the only thing he doesn’t regret about it is his daughter Hailey Jade Mathers who was born in 1996. She is the main reason of his happiness so that’s why he fought for her safekeeping until he achieved it.

All of these experiences that Eminem had to face helped him to create the most incredible songs I’ve ever heard so I’m happy about his debut being the needle in a haystack because when he started, the world of rap was only for blacks so when a white man broke the rules everybody had his eyes on him just to see him fail, something that never happened, though. His career has had a lot of highs but less lows, some of them are:

®  The slim shady EP: This was his first album released with the company Aftermath and where he collaborated for the first time with Dr. Dre, a successful rapper by then. It’s also an album where he criticizes the album industry and develops his more personal style ; signed as a number one spot because of his talent and the suit by his mother who accused him of causing her emotional disorders.

®  The Marshall Mathers LP: this is an album number at one spot too when he hit, with a weapon, a men who was disturbing his wife (when he still had a relationship with Kim). He was convicted to have a strict control of drug use and the assistance of a psychologist as a prisoner for 2 years under parole.

®  8 Mile: this is a movie about Eminem’s biography where he acts too. Another fact is that the name of the film was selected because the street that separates the rich suburbs from the poor ones is called ‘’8 Mile’’, where he used to live.

TRAILER OF 8 MILE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axGVrfwm9L4

PERSONAL OPINION

From my point of view, I see Eminem as the best rapper that has ever existed because the lyrics of his songs are very well made and he is the typical rapper who can rap at the speed of light. If you don’t believe me, don’t worry I have proofs showed in one of his official music videos. But something that is very important for me is the expression of the feelings and thoughts, something that Eminem does in ever single word that comes out of his mouth when he does what he likes, to rap.

PROOF (crucial moment when we can appreciate his skills: 4:26): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbGs_qK2PQA

MY PROM TRIP-by ManuFP

MY PROM TRIP-By: ManuFP

Hello! Today I am going to make a summary about the Prom Trip. The Prom Trip is the experience that all secondary students of Jesús María wait for. The last 23rd of April we started the Trip with the tutors and co-tutors of 4º ESO: Beatriz, Maite, Aurelio and Manuel. It was the best trip I have ever done because we visited many amazing places with my classmates. Now I am going to explain the different towns that we have visited:

GUADALUPE: The first stop was Guadalupe that is a town located in the Province of Cáceres. It wasn´t the first time that I visited Guadalupe, when I was 9 years old I went with my family to Valdecaballeros which is near there. But this time I could visit the Monastery of Santa María Guadalupe which is one of the most important ones in the country for its architecture and Greco´s artwork. It was declared World Heritage Site by UNECO in 1993. Then we had lunch and celebrated Felipe´s birthday.

TRUJILLO: At 18.30 we stopped in Trujillo, an amazing place erected on a big granite rock, where we did a guided tour. We walked through the streets in the historic quarter and we saw the statue and Francisco Pizarro´s house too who is one of the most important conquerors of Amercia in the fifteenth century. It was pouring so we finished the tour very quickly.

CÁCERES: We arrived in Cáceres and left our luggage at, in my opinion, the best Hotel of the trip, Barceló V Centenario, then we had for dinner pasta, burgers and fries. The next day we had breakfast at 9:00: scrambled eggs, bacon, coffee…

Then we visited Cáceres, which is a very beautiful town full of history and ancient monuments like Palacio de Carvajal o the Santa Marías Concathedral, for this reason the walled city has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I could never imagine that Caceres was so amazing.

 Once finished the tour, we went to have lunch and then, watching the TV news, we found out about the horrible plane crash in France with several Spanish passengers. After it, we travelled to Coimbra, Portugal, we crossed the border so we couldn’t use our mobile phones for whatsapp, facebook or sending email. After arriving to our travel destination the bus broke down and Javi, the other bus driver helped us to fix it.

COIMBRA: At 19:15 we stopped in Coimbra and visited the old town but this time without a tour (great!), My friends and I (Felipe, Gon, Ina and Juan) went to the top of the city to visit the most amazing places in that City like Coimbra´s university or the typical buildings. At 20:30 we came back to the Emidio Navarro Square where we meet an alcoholic person who disturbed us. We came back to the bus and then we went to the hotel. There we unpacked, had dinner and had free time. I sat on a bench overlooking the whole city at night. At 8:00 we had breakfast and took the bus to travel to our destination, Lisbon

LISBON: Finally we arrived in our destination. Lisbon is the capital of Portugal, it is one of the most amazing cities I have ever visited. There we made a guided tour but inside the bus with a lovely girl, she showed us the most extraordinary places of Lisbon like Torre de Belem which is by the Tajo river, where the river becomes wider and finishes in the Atlantic Ocean. We also visited the Plaza del Comercio and the25^th of may bridge which connected Lisbon with Almada. When the guided tour finished I bought some souvenirs for my Family like a cup, the Flag of Portugal, and 4 Pasteles de Belem boxes, that is the best cake I have ever eaten. We had lunch and went to Mérida

MÉRIDA: We arrived at 21:00 to Mérida and we had free time. At 8:30 we had breakfast and visited the Roman Theater and Amphitheater. This time the tour guide was Manuel, that in my opinion was the clearest in his explanation. When the tour was done we went to the bus and we returned to Madrid… (nooooo…..)

MADRID: It turned out, in my opinion, the most awaited moment for the teachers but the saddest time for the students, the return to Madrid… In this time I was with Beatriz and Maite and we talked about the school my sisters and a lot of different topics like the my opinion of the prom trip. We also talked with Lucia and Belen. Then we arrived in Madrid and picked up my luggage. After saying goodbye I came back home very quickly to explain to my parents the amazing prom trip that we had done.

CONCLUSSION: The prom trip has been my best high school experience. I recommend for future students to make the same journey! I have learnt that the most important thing is not where you go it is just who you go with…! I would also like to apologize to the teachers for our behavior.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND SEE YOU SOON!