Coordinator and Editor David Kavanagh Assistant Editor Andrea Roberts Photographs Sonia Contreras, Andrea Roberts, David Kavanagh and offsite coordinators and teachers Design Jon Mikel Zabalegi Printing Cromograf Contacts david.kavanagh@britishcouncil.es andrea.roberts@britishcouncil.es
Acknowledgements The editor would like to acknowledge this year Ángel Calvo, Sara Martín, Lucía Bermejo and Pilar Fernández for all the administrative support; Alfonso Jiménez for his unflustered and always timely technical support; Evelyn Ezra, James Holmes, Diane Beeson and John Liddy for finding time to painstakingly proof read; the talent, expertise and patience of Jon Mikel Zabalegi; Jóse Llanos, Roberto Martín and Javier Casas for logistical support; Hannah Norwood, Ross Smith, Alan Finch, Steve Evans and Louise Desmier for their helpful replies to an infinitude of queries, and lastly and most importantly, the teachers who contributed with such pride and enthusiasm their students’ work.
We are... ... Music Lovers
... Staff
... Monsters
... Early Years
... Critics
... Foodies
... The World
... Writers
... The Future
... Sport Lovers
... Essayist
Photostories Welcome
School Competition
Editorial
Lola’s Revenge
Cultural Week
The Project
Shakespeare Lives
The Good Marks
3 Contents
... Animal Lovers
YearBook
... Us
YearBook
I wonder how many of you took part in the terrific events in this year’s Culture Week.
Welcome to the YearBook 2015/16
4
What an amazing and enjoyable 6 days it was! Under the title, “A record breaking week!” students of different ages took part in some very diverse activities from stone painting to story-telling, from Shakespeare to sports writing. With the emphasis on taking part, students found themselves challenged, involved and having a great time. I was delighted to see some very positive comments from both students and teachers. Here’s a selection: z English Cuisine: “I loved it because it was so interesting and learned things about typical food of England. I liked it very much!” z Shakespeare’s records: “In my opinion it was a creative and amusing way to make students interested in English culture and Shakespeare”. z Welsh Myths and Legends: “I thought the session was really good. The students were really engaged and talking about the stories afterwards”. z Mark Snarski presents Tom Waits: “Really dynamic, that’s the best way to improve our English”.
Thanks to all the staff and students who made this happen. What will they come up with next time? At Madrid Young Learners we know how important it is to make sure our students both learn from and enjoy their time with us. Older students especially seem to be busier and busier each year. Our response to this is to start a project to make our courses for teenagers as interesting and productive as possible. We want the students to learn not only English but lots of skills which will help them achieve their goals in life. It’s all about connecting, isn’t it? Connecting with employers, with people from other countries and with each other. Best wishes, JOHN PARE Teaching Centre Manager Madrid Young Learners
With just under 300 students the Early Years department is going from strength to strength.
All of which I hope demonstrates the hard work done and fun that was had in the past year here at Madrid Young Learners. The exceptional work herein would not have been possible without the ideas, talent and enthusiasm of the teachers, who provided the positive, encouraging, collaborative environments necessary for this work to be produced and, of course, the inestimable commitment and hard work of all the administrative staff and management who ensure the smooth running of the centre. Thanks are due to Andrea Roberts and to all the students whose work is included and to those whose work, through constraints of space, could not be included. And finally, as always, a reminder: contributions to Yearbook 16 will be welcome from the first day of the summer courses. DAVID KAVANAGH Yearbook Editor and Coordinator
5 Editorial
Once more, students have used the Yearbook as a platform for their literary talents in the “We are – Writers” section, where there are some excellent examples of how they are making English their own, from playful tongue twisters and limericks to heartfelt poetry and intriguing short stories. Films, books and phone apps come under scrutiny in the “We are- Critics” section while advertising, circuses and the Catalonian question are eloquently analysed in the Essay section.
It is a pleasure to showcase here some of the work produced by students and present a few of the fresh and inventive activities the teachers have developed to foster language acquisition in such young learners.
YearBook
One of the many purposes of the Yearbook is to be a window through which parents can look into the classrooms and see the interaction between students and teachers here in Madrid Young Learners. A window through which parents can observe the students creatively responding to the stimuli presented by teachers as they travel along their road to proficiency in English in all of the 22 levels offered at this centre, from finger paintings in Storytime 1 to Level 10 students expressing themselves with fluency, precision, sophistication and style. It is my hope that the yearbook once again this year captures the learning opportunities offered in this centre and reflects the success of the interaction between students and teachers throughout the year.
YearBook
ANA MOURENZA FERNÁNDEZ Pinks (Paraíso)
We are - Us
6
INVENTING My name’s Ignacio and my favourite hobby is inventing. I love inventing because it’s interesting. I do inventing 7 times a week. I started when I was 6 years old. IGNACIO SAN QUINTÍN Reds
YearBook
7
MY NAME IS PRACHI I am six years old. My favourite colour is pink. I am best at listening in English. My favourite person is Teresa. My favourite subject is music. PRACHI GONZÁLEZ Pink (Paraíso)
We are - Us
JULIA CASTRO Junior 1 (Esclavas)
IRENE AGULLO Reds
YearBook
MY EASTER WEEK
We are - Us
8
CARLOTA ALONSO Junior 1 CARMEN Pinks (ParaÃso)
VICTORIA MAYORAL Pink
YearBook
9 We are - Us
EUGENIA CONDE Pinks
My name is Gabriela I am six years old My favourite colour is blue My favourite book is Teo Stilton My favourite artist is One Direction My favourite person is Carmen My favourite animal is dolphin GABRIELA ÁLVAREZ Pink (Paraíso)
MY MUM AND I When my mum was 10 years old she used to walk to School. She used to watch TV in black and white. She used to have guitar classes on Tuesday and Thursday. She used to wear a uniform with a skirt at school. She didn’t use to have a computer.
YearBook
I am 10 years old and I go to school by car. I watch TV in colour. I have English classes. I don’t wear a uniform at school. I use my father’s computer at the weekend. I have lunch at school every day. INÉS GONZÁLEZ Junior 2
We are - Us
10
DANIELA ALFÉREZ Junior 2
CARMEN ZORILLA Pink (Paraíso)
My hair is curly and brown and long. CHIARA SCOTTI Reds
When my mum was 9 years old, she used to play the piano, watch movies and read. She didn’t use to play with a horrible doll that was called “Rosoura”. She used to live in Spain. Some days she went outside to go to the park, buy sweets or have an ice-cream. YearBook
I like to play with my ipod and watch TV. I like to cook with my grandma and read lots of books. I love to go to the cinema and paint. I like to play the piano like my mum. I play basketball and padel and I like to listen to music. DANIELA ALFÉREZ Junior2
11 We are - Us LUIS PAZ ARES Pink
YearBook
We are - Us
12
RUTH ARIAS DE GREGORIO Pink (Paraíso)
MY GRANDMOTHERS’S LIFE My grandmother used to go to the cinema to watch Western movies in black and white. On Sundays she used to go to the cinema to watch 2 movies in a row. After school she used to go to the park every day. In the evening after she did her homework she and her family used to sit around the radio. She used to go to the sea in the summer, to the Cantabrian Sea where the waves used to be very big. She loved to play in the waves, and she loved to watch the orange sunset. FEDERICO FERNÁNDEZ Reds
ERIKA FERNÁNDEZ Junior 2
A MUSICAL EDUCATION It is indeed undeniable that music is, first and foremost, a form of art that has accompanied mankind throughout its history and mirrored its most confined feelings and cherished ambitions. However, do we give music the degree of importance it deserves?
YearBook
13 Natalia Khan, Dev Unwin and Hayley Wood share an apple on teacher’s day
Adding to this view the second text we read raises the debate over the role of music in education. As another consequence of our under-valuing of music, children’s tuition on music ceases at a very early stage of their development, thus favouring the so called core subjects. In contrast to these policies, numerous research papers show that music lessons encourage creativity in children and benefits them in many ways. It is not then reasonable to add music a few extra hours a week?
LOUANE EMERA
In conclusion, music’s relevance to the modern world is often understated, which raises a nightmarish fall-out that consists of children lacking certain abilities for their development and promising future musicians giving up on their careers due to inexistent support.
I heard the first single in summer 2014. She is special, because she is younger and has a really nice voice. My family thinks she has a lot of talent.
ÁLVARO LÓPEZ Senior 9
I love classical music – However, my music hero is Louane Emera, the French singer. She was born on 26th November 1996 in Hénin-Beaumont. She appeared on the TVshow “École des Starts” season 2, when she was 12 years old. In 2013, she appeared on the TV show “The Voice”, Season 2. She made a single in 2014, and in 2015 she made an album. In 2015 she began her career as an actress in the film “La Famille Bélier”, and won a César (the French Oscar).
She is very lucky, but her mother died in 2014 and her father in 2013. SIGOURNEY LAETITIA BYHAM Junior 3
We are - Music Lovers
The first text we read argues how utterly widespread music is in our current society and, therefore, how easy it is for us to access it. Given this it is of no surprise, as the author claims, that society places this delightful art in second place and fails to realise its importance. A reflection of this glaring misconception is the difficulties one comes up against when it is ones dream to pursue a career in music. This is a very interesting point as it is true that society doesn’t realise that if it doesn’t stop under valuing music, it shall eventually be dumbed down to a vulgar pseudo-art.
YearBook
DESERT ISLAND DISCS
We are - Music Lovers
14
Desert Island Discs is a radio talk show which has been running since 1942. It is broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Each week a different guest is invited. The guest is called a castaway and is asked to choose 8 recordings, usually music, that they would take if they were cast away on an island. They give reasons for their choices and discuss their lives. Guests may also choose a luxury item or even a pet if they wish. Very famous people have appeared on the show and it is extremely popular as it is entertaining and fun.
I shared my choices (Ella FitzGerald, The Stranglers, Glenn Miller, Prince….) with my Senior 6 class and explained what they meant to me, the memories they brought back and why I liked them. It was certainly fun listening to old tracks and thinking about it all! My students then wrote about their choices and would like to share some of them with you.
I haven’t lived for too long but it was difficult for me to choose just 6 songs of the thousands that I have already listened to, but I have chosen them so let’s start!
Another film that also lights up my life even though it’s for young children is “High School Musical”. I still watch it though I always use the excuse of my little sister but I love it! Since 2006 I have watched it a minimum of ten times a year. The song I most like is the first one. I choose “Start Something New” because I really think the lyrics are fantastic.
When my teacher told me to write about this the first group I thought of was Mecano. When I was very young it was my parents favourite music so they were listening to them all the time, we even went to the Mecano musical. I really like all the songs but I’ll choose “Maquillaje” as when I was 5 I did this dance for my graduation in Kindergarten. I had an older cousin so everything she loved I would love it more. When she told me she liked a song which was called “Antes Muerta que Sencilla”, I started following María Isabel like a crazy fan. I had all my room covered with posters of her, lots of photos, her pink fan, a dedicated autograph, lots of discs, tickets for the preview of the film that she was going to release… so I will keep these moments all my life. I really like to watch films for as long as I can remember so I have picked two songs from my favourite ones. “Grease” is the film I most enjoy and I really like the soundtrack so from the whole film I will choose the final song which is called “You Are The One That I Want” by John Travolta and Olivia NewtonJohn. It is the sixth bestselling song ever in the USA.
HELEN ROEBUCK | Teacher
Moving on to when I lived in Dublin. I lived there for a year and it was hard being without my family and lots of things reminded me of my home, like this song even though it was in English, it was one of the few songs that has ever made me cry. It’s “Let Her Go” by Passenger. I learned a lot from this song like to express your gratitude for everything throughout your life. Finally and equally important for me is a singer called Melendi. At first when my cousins let me know about him I hated him, now I really like his work. His songs have something that make me feel different, they make me feel good and depressed at the same time. Some of the songs, like the one I have chosen, I can’t even listen to the whole way through because I start crying and I can’t stop. This song is called “Sara Luna”. CARMEN CABEZAOLIAS | Senior 6
I love listening to music, I really do, on the bus, in the shower, while I’m tidying my room, when I wake up, all day. So it’s difficult for me to pick my six favourite songs, in spite of this, after a lot of thinking, I picked them.
When I went skiing this year, there was a song we listened to 20 times a day, nevertheless, I never get tired of listening to it. The name of the song is “Seve” and it was written by Tez Cadey, a 22 year old French producer, it’s a chill out song and it brings back a lot of good memories.
When I was littler than I am now I used to go into my sister’s room and listen to contemporary Rock bands like My Chemical Romance, Green Day or Talco. The latter is the band I like most, especially their song “Danza Dell’Autunno Rosa”. “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen is one of my favourite songs, this is because of the different styles of music that this song contains. When I listen to this song I forget my problems and I feel relaxed. Lindsey Stirling is a violinist and a composer. She creates electronic songs and in those she incorporates her violin. I like almost all her songs but my favourite is “Shatter Me”.
Sometimes I meet my friends and we go to a house and we start singing Spanish songs with a guitar. Our favourite song is “Zapatillas” by El Canto del Loco, a Spanish pop rock group created in 1994. They aren’t together anymore as they separated in 2010.
This year I chose music in my school, we’re studying the history of Rock and I’m discovering lots of great songs. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is a song composed by George Harrison but his close friend Eric Clapton collaborates in the guitar solo.
There’s always a song that you and your boyfriend have in common. For me it is a song by an American singer-songwriter Matt Simmons, “Catch and Release”. Some months the song was remixed by the Dutch House DJs and it was called “Catch and Release Deepend Remix”, which is even better than the original.
I do not usually like Spanish songs but “Feo, Fuerte y Formal” by Loquillo brings good memories to mind. This song like many others form part of the repertoire that my father usually puts on in the car while my family is travelling. I had to listen to it so many times that I don’t know if I love it or it gives me a headache!
And the last one but not the least important, “Encantadora” by Yandel. This song reminds me of this summer, the parties and the beach, it is a mix of Reggaeton and Latin music. TERESA MARTÍN | Senior 6
GONZALO EZCURRA | Senior 6
15 We are - Music Lovers
“High School Musical” is one of my favourite movies; it’s my childhood. I love all of the songs, but the one I like most is “Can I Have This Dance?” The two main characters are dancing on the roof and suddenly it starts to rain and they keep dancing. It’s so romantic.
“I Am The Walrus”. This song is included in the album “The Magical Mystery Tour” by the Beatles. It was my favourite song for a long time. I used to listen to it in the car and I always ordered my parents to put this song on in the car.
YearBook
“I See Fire” is a song recorded and produced by the English singer-songwriter, Ed Sheeran. The song was composed in 2013 for the film, “The Hobbit” (a film I hate). It reached number one all over the world. Every night I listen to this song so I can sleep better.
It wasn’t easy to choose between all the great songs that I thought of , but finally these are my six songs that I would bring on a desert island.
YearBook
We are - Music Lovers
16 MARGOT SAMANIEGO Koalas (Teo)
MUSIC IS EVERYWHERE NOWADAYS Music is everywhere nowadays. Whether it is an advertisement or a film, it is unlikely you won´t hear some kind of background music. When we walk through a shop, although we don´t notice it, music is there. Given its importance, why doesn´t the Government encourage people to develop their musical talent? In Mozart or Bach´s times, music was really valued. It was not difficult to find highly-skilled musicians; in fact, people from wealthy families were obliged to learn how to play an instrument as this showed good education. Talented musicians had great prestige, but these days we can´t say the same. People who are devoted to music and have a professional career find it really hard to get a job and earn a living, and their talent is rarely recognised. For this
reason, they abandon their passion, and the world loses lots of opportunities to discover geniuses. At the same time, children at schools are not encouraged to learn music. This subject is one of the first which disappears from the curriculum as a child grows up. This is a pity, because playing music through an instrument gives children the chance to express themselves and also concentrate. It requires a lot of graft and also you have to pay for the instruments and lessons, but the results are so rewarding that it’s definitely worth it. To sum up, music is undervalued and regarding its benefits and positive effects, we should encourage more people to learn it. JORGE SEGURA Senior 9
SENIOR 5 SONG PROJECT
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? Justin Bieber I like to listen to this song when I’m hanging out with my friends. I love listening to it because it reminds me of my Irish friend and I miss her a lot. I didn’t use to like Justin Bieber but I think this song is fantastic. It makes me feel optimistic and when I’m having a bad day it cheers me up. If you want to be relaxed and calmed you shouldn’t listen to this song! This song makes me start dancing and singing. SARA GOVANTES
RAP AGAINST RACISM “Only one race, the human race”. This song makes me think about the differences that exist in the world. When I hear it, I feel like helping people. I investigated the meaning of the song and the rappers that sing
SCIENCE FICTION This song makes me cheer up. It talks about joy and love. For me, all Leiva’s songs are perfect. When I
FÜR ELISE
CARMEN CEREZO
it, to help the discriminated people of the world. The composer who created the song, (El Chojín) has dedicated part of his life to India. DIEGO SOLÉ
feel like chickening out of something, I listen to this song and I lose all my fears. I don´t know how to explain this but if I listen this song and I close my eyes I can travel anywhere. It´s magical. LUCÍA BEZARES
This piece, by Ludwig Van Beethoven, is very relaxing because it hasn´t got any people singing or any parts made by computers. This song only contains a piano and that is why I think it´s very relaxing. The song is very slow too. If I’m sad about something I just hear this song and I cheer up a lot. MIGUEL LÓPEZ FERREIRO
17 We are - Music Lovers
1. Scan the code. 2. Listen to the song. 3. Read the text. 4. Feel the vibe!
The first time I listened to this song was last year in a music class. We had to sing it all the class together. After that I loved this song and I was singing it all the time. This song is about the French Revolution. It talks about a revolution caused by French people wanting freedom. The song comes from an amazing film called Les Miserables. When I listen to this song it helps me to
stay motivated. Because I think that I am inside the song and it makes me feel happy. It is one my favorite songs because it talks about many feelings at the same time; sadness, because in this war a lot of people die and also the fury of the people and the motivation to fight for the things that they want.
YearBook
Songs are an important part of our lives and they are strongly attached to our feelings, emotions, and memories. Zoë Owen’s senior 5 classes chose some songs which are important to them and explained how they make them feel. So now…
DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING?
YearBook
BEATING HEART
We are - Music Lovers
18
When I listen to this song I feel brave and free. It makes me think that I can do anything I want. Beating Heart is the official song of the film Divergent, so it talks about the Dauntless faction. I really like some of Ellie Goulding’s songs because they are powerful. I listen to this song constantly because it motivates me but it almost relaxes me too. Furthermore, I like Divergent books so I love this song. It makes me feel braver. VIOLETA ALCALDE Senior 5
BRUNO SALAS & BRUNO RODRÍGUEZ Pinks
MUSIC IN SCHOOLS IS IMPORTANT Music is something that we take for granted in our daily lives and thus has been downgraded in importance. This is an error however, because due to no longer taking it as seriously as we should, some musicians are forced to abandon their careers in music. People tend to say that it is short-sighted to cut the study of music in schools, and public outcry has made some progress in trying to have music as a subject throughout the whole learning stage. The main advantage that this subject provides is that it has positive effects on students, helping them with good development. In terms of the school curriculum itself, music should not be treated with the same importance as physics, but that does not mean that it should not be taught. The reality is that music is unique, and for this reason it should be taught differently from other subjects. Given that parents love to see their offspring performing in concerts at school, the chance of schools obtaining additional funding is increased. For this reason, funds should be used to grant musical education for students, and to help this
subject to survive. Funds could also be used to pay good musicians to teach school children, or to buy new instruments and maintain older ones. Such education would create a generation where music was more respected and better valued. The problem with today’s society is that we do not have enough knowledge about music, or good performers, and this is why people tend to think that new famous artists are good, when in fact they are clearly over-rated. The fact that music can be easily accessed thanks to the internet and other technologies makes it harder for good musicians to make a living, and consequently a high number of promising young musicians are unable to develop in their field. In conclusion, if we do not improve the quality of our younger generations musical education through extra funding, we will not be able to have promising young musicians, and those we have will not be able to make a living from their music, and bad musicians will have all the fame and fortune. JORGE SEGURA Senior 9
YearBook
IRENE FERNÁNDEZ Koalas (Teo)
TAYLOR SWIFT
I´m going to write about a rock group, AC DC.
My music hero is Taylor Swift, the American Singer and actress. Although she grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania, she and her family moved to Nashville, Tennessee when she was 14 years old. She played the piano and the guitar.
The group was formed in Sydney, Australia. They became famous in 1973, although their international success was three years later in 1976. They have toured with many artists, but their real success came with their album “Highway to Hell”. I heard AC DC for the first time when I saw the film Iron Man, because the soundtrack of the film is by AC DC. However AC DC have been performing for a lot of years so I think perhaps I had heard them before I saw the film. I think AC DC is special because their music motivates me to do things. Even though a lot of people think the music of AC DC is only noise, I think it is amazing. ANTONIO GÓMEZ Junior 3
She became interested in music at the age of five when she wrote simple songs and went to karaoke competitions. She became famous when she made her first album in 2006 – the name of the album is Taylor Swift. The first time I listened to the songs of Taylor Swift was when I was eleven years old. I think her music is special because she writes songs about her life and her feelings. I think people think Taylor Swift is a good pop singer, although girls like her more than boys. MIRIAM DÍAZ Junior 3
We are - Music Lovers
AC/DC
19
By: Sofia Álvarez, Inés Trump Ana Jimenez Junior 2 (Esclavas)
YearBook
What are you doing here? HMMM!! This is very dificult: 1+1=…3!! I love Dora the Explorer
Photostories
20
Rigoberta and Kristela always won the school talent competition. This year they were going to participate again. They weren’t very nice. They were ambitious and clever.
We are going to win the school talent competition again.
One day a new girl came into the class. Her parents had changed jobs. Her name was Filomena and she was a very good person. She was kind and hardworking.
Look at that new girl
She looks beautiful
I’m nervous…! I haven’t done the homework and David is going to kill me.
I’m going to participate in the school talent competition
She looks BEAuTIFUL
“ I heard that you, settled down, that you, found a girl, that you’re married now…
She will probably win!
Then Rigoberta and Kristela heard Filomena singing and they thought that Filomena was going to win the school talent competition.
YearBook
Wow she can really sing
Now she is going to lose
Where are my lyrics?
But it’s OK, I know the song lyrics
Filomena is coming into the class.
Then Rigoberta and Kristela came up with a plan to steal the song’s lyrics off Filomena.
Filomena is looking for the song. But she knows the song lyrics. YES, I HAVE WON THE COMPETITION!!
Filomena won the school talent competition. All the class were very happy except Rigoberta and Kristela. They were very sad and they were crying.
THAT’S MY GIRL.
IT’S YOUR FAULT!! KRISTELLA.
I LOVE FROZEN.
NOOO!!!
IT’S YOURS.
Photostories
RUN!!!
21
YearBook
THE WITCH DOWN THE STREET (1stPART)
Lucía Ponce de León and classmates watch as Ross Smith explains all about dookin for apples at Teo
22
“We shouldn’t be doing this, you know,” Sarah softly reminded her friend Cassie for the fifth time that night, as their hurried footsteps echoed through the dark street of their neighborhood. Leaves were rustling in the trees, and scattering about chaotically on the concrete ground, all moved by the wind, as if they were living beings. Street lights were flickering on and off, as though they were warning the two girls of the danger they were about to put themselves into. An owl screeched somewhere in the darkness, and Sarah jumped at the sudden sound, feeling chills crawl over her skin.
We are - Monsters
The young girl knew this plan of Sarah’s wasn’t a good idea, as she had always been more cautious than her short, reddishhaired companion. Her friend was marching determinedly next to her, so quickly that Sarah had a hard time keeping up, even with her long legs. Cassie wasn’t even sparing her a glance. Her hair was like dancing flames as it whipped furiously around in the cold wind. Sarah thought that this mirrored the anger on her small, pale face, which made her even more nervous, as she felt anxious and out of place in the midst of her best friend’s rage. Certainly Sarah was angry too, but she was reasonable enough to know that her nine-year old friend was angry at the wrong person.
SAM SHORTIS and ROZ HERBERT getting into it at Halloween
“Mrs. Harris didn’t kidnap Billie, Cassie. She’s just a harmless old lady. Can’t you even see how she moves around? She can barely walk”, Sarah said with a slight tremble in her voice, moving her legs faster until she was walking in front of the red-head. Her memory of the old woman was as clear as day. Mrs Harris was painfully gaunt and wrinkly, her weak legs too old and frail to walk properly. For this reason, according to Sarah, it was absolutely out of the question that the elderly woman could have been the one behind Billie’s disappearance. With this in mind, ignoring the urge to tuck her head between her shoulders compliantly, Sarah decidedly looked at her friend square in the eyes, hoping that
Cassie would finally look at her and come to her senses. Cassie, however, remained silent, her eyes hard like stone, unmovable and resolute.
CELIA GRANO DE ORO Junior 2 (Claret) shows off her Halloween mask
23 We are - Monsters
Cassie finally looked up at her, and her eyes looked shinier in the weak glow of the streetlamps. “I saw him, Sarah. I saw him go into her house. I kept waiting but I never saw him come out. I waited for six whole hours.” The short girl’s pale hands formed shaking fists and her breathing was growing heavier. “He’s our friend and that old hag has him! We have to get him back!” Upon hearing her friend’s emotional outburst, Sarah’s eyes were wide, scared, the reason being she had absolutely no clue what to do. In this situation, she was utterly out of her element. Whenever her friend was being irrational, whenever she was being her usual stubborn self, she could calm her down, – but this was something else. Her friend normally wasn’t like this, she had never seen her so vengeful before. Looking at the way she was practically seething in rage, it seemed like she wanted to hurt Mrs. Harris badly, and Sarah didn’t want the trouble that would bring. Besides, Mrs. Harris couldn’t have been responsible for Billie’s disappearance, could she? Cassie wasn’t being realistic...she wasn’t. CAROLINA LAHOZ Senior 9
YearBook
Grimacing and glancing away, the taller child felt a familiar stab of hurt. Cassie wasn’t like her old friends, Cassie knew this, because she didn’t make her feel small and insignificant, she didn’t make her want to cry or curl up in a ball. On the contrary, her best friend had increased her self-esteem. With her friend, Sarah had learnt that there were things that she knew she didn’t have to hide, and there were things she knew she didn’t have to do. Cassie wasn’t forcing her to do anything and that was something her friend loved. However sometimes…
ESTHER GONÇALVES Junior 2 Sweet-bearing witches aren’t scary
Amanda Hawthorne with her students Agata Sicilia, Jesús Obregón,Diego Martín and Inés Balbás having Halloween fun at Teo
JUNIOR 2 HALLOWEEN POEMS
YearBook
Witches and wizards come for me, Because tonight is Halloween, Vampires and zombies, I’m so scared, I have to run, I don’t want to die, I’m still alive, I’m so relieved, Now I want to go to trick or treat!
We are - Monsters
24
EVA PALACIOS Miguel or Alejandro Ollaya and Gabriel Berzosa all dressed for Halloween at Teo
Black night is coming Black death is coming Consuming the people Very slowly like a candle IVÁN OJEDA
Are you thin or are you fat? Are you a ghost or are you a bat? Mark my words you little queen Run, run, run its Halloween. ELENA FELTRER
Junior 2 students Sofía Fernández, Antonio Sánchez, Elena Aguallo de Otaola, Claudia Alonso, Irene Pedros and Paco Toro.
Yellows L to R - Jorge Fernández, Carlos Martínez, Alba Bautista, Enrique Pozuelo, Carmen Pozuelo, Blanca López and Charlie Becerra
YearBook
25 GRUESOME GRANDDAUGHTER He’s got 3 eyes and 4 hands and 6 ears and Green teeth. MARCOS DÁVILA Pink
Sad eyed DIEGO VEGA Pink
JIMENA KUTZ and VALERIA MONTORO Early Years (Teo) being scary
My freaky family character is Gruesome Granddaughter. She’s got curly hair and black eyes. She’s got scary teeth. She hasn’t got a moustache. She hasn’t got straight hair. LUCÍA SANTOS Red
A very serious halloween stare from LUNA DELGADO Junior 1
We are - Monsters
SCARY SON
YearBook
We are - Monsters
26
GREEN FACE He is my Halloween monster. He is a zombie with a green face. He wears a skeleton suit. He scares children.
My Monster has twenty seven eyes, three noses, four arms, seventeen fingers and he is skateboarding
DIEGO PALMER Pink
Is it a vampire? Is it a witch? No! It is CELIA FERNÁNDEZ Tigers
CELIA MARTÍN
Pink (Sagrados Corazones)
LUCAS CARRASCO from the Junior 2 walking dead
My monster is playing basketball. JAIME FUENTE Pink (Sagrados Corazones)
A LOST THING
ANOTHER LOST THING My lost thing comes from Australia. It has a big and colourful body. Its belly looks like a triangle. I think it looks like a pyramid. If I found this lost thing I would ask people for help.
MAR VEGA Reds looking cool at Halloween
ISABEL PÉREZ-POZUELO Yellow (S.E.K)
27 CARMEN CUESTA Early Years Showing off her apple after some successful dooking
We are - Monsters
SARA SÁNCHEZ Yellow (S.E.K)
YearBook
My lost thing comes from China, but it doesn’t like its country. It has a colourful head and large limbs. Its tummy looks like a pillow, well it is a pillow. I think it looks funny and a little bit serious. It has whiskers and spikes. Its eyes are nuts and its nose is a nail. It looks like a monster. If I found a lost thing I would like to play with it and then take it home.
YearBook
Julia Saiz, Miriam Bennani, Clara Rodríguez, Julia Carroza, Inés Orts, Laura Martínez and Irene Recio - Seven pretty scary witches!
We are - Monsters
28
Marta Chinarro, Iago Aragón, Mateo Caballo, Inés Quintana, Laura Ortega, Alberto Calvo, Rodrigo de la Fuente; Miguel de la Barreda, Jaime León...
Red students Adela Suárez, Ginebra Yáñez, Lucía Martínez, Carmen Maestre, Gadea López, Maia palencia, Natalia Cañizares, Marco Arribas.
YearBook
29 We are - Monsters
My monster is Rocío. She is skateboarding.
ROCÍO CAMPOS
Pink (Sagrados Corazones)
YearBook
We are - Critics
30
The new Early Years reading corner in the library
GERONIMO STILTON When I was nine years old, my parents started buying books for me to read, thinking that I would enjoy them. At first I despised reading, I couldn’t stand it. I was taught in school that books were something you were obliged to read for homework. I thought that there was no way I could enjoy reading one. After a few years, my parents bought me a new series of books called “Geronimo Stilton’s Adventures”, which were breaking records in sales in the youth literature category. These stories take place in a city named Ratopia (which could be translated as mouse city), it’s inhabitants being mice. The plot centres around the adventures of a remarkable mouse; Geronimo Stilton, a famous writer and the owner of the most successful newspaper in Ratopia. Geronimo and his friends find a different adventure in every book and the well-crafted characters tend to highlight the
importance of social values such as friendship, love, and tolerance. The books from this series that really marked my childhood would be “A Trip to the World of Fantasy”, which was the first one of a then new Geronimo Stilton series called “Unexpected Trips”. In this special book there was a little secret. Some of the pages had different smells according to the place where Geronimo was at each moment. As a child you could imagine yourself in an enchanted forest; swimming in the middle of the ocean or fighting against a monster just by smelling each page! For me it was an amazing experience, and this is probably one of the reasons why I think children would still enjoy reading it. JAIME GISBER Senior 10
AMINA’S SONG You would never imagine that a book could mark a milestone until it actually does. No matter how old you were when you first read it or whether you are a book worm or not, the truth is that fortunately, these books really make a difference and Amina’s Song did so for me.
CLARA GONZÁLEZ Koalas (Teo)
MIRIAM SALCEDO Senior 10
31 We are - Critics
Written by Sigrid Heuck, the book relates the story that takes place in Morocco where two tribes are confronted: “The Sons of the Wind”, whose wives are pure objects at the service of
Like other books for children, Amina’s Song deserves recognition as a book which adult readers will find entertaining, inspiring and meaningful. Not only does it teach us to follow our own dreams and to fight tirelessly for them, but also in an unfair situation, we should not conform, we should face it and change it for the better. However the best way to check it out is to read it yourself, you won’t regret it.
YearBook
I didn’t discover this book by chance. I was in class three of primary school when our teacher told us that we had to swap a book with the other class, and that is what we did. At first, Amina’s Song looked insignificant and the title did not appeal to me. Much the same as other books I had already read I thought. However, once I started, I found myself reluctant to stop reading it. Amina’s Song is a far more fascinating book than its popular and childish audience might suggest.
their husbands, and “The Sons of the Storm” where everyone is treated equally. Within the text, the reader discovers two interwoven tales; the love story between Amina, the daughter of the sheik of the first tribe and Tarik, the son of the sheik of the other. It is steeped in passion and devoid of prejudice. At the same time the confrontation between Amina and her father, culminates in the liberation of women from men’s authority.
PINK BOOK REVIEWS Old Mother Hubbard by Karen Bryant-Mole
There was an old mother. She had a dog. She went to buy a lot of things for the dog. The dog can read, the dog can play the flute, the dog made bows.
YearBook
MIRIAM FERNÁNDEZ | Pink
32
Hungry Hen by Richard Waring
This story is about a hungry little hen and a hungry fox. The hen grew and grew and the fox got thinner and thinner until one day the hen gobbled up the fox.
Shazam! Maite Álvarez received her prize from Allison Nunziante and her teacher David McEvoy
We are - Critics
MIGUEL SERRANO | Pink
When grandma was young
This story is about the three children that went to visit their grandma. They asked about when she was young. They asked about the people wear, about the streets, about the cars, trains and toys. They asked if she had fun when she was young. ÁLVARO GARCÍA | Pink
The Runaway Orange
It’s market day and from the fruit stall an orange rolls away. The dogs chase the runaway orange. Then pip catches the runaway orange and the little town is in a mess because the dogs destroy everything. ALEJANDRO MARTÍN | Pink
SHAZAM Shazam is, generally speaking, a music app. I guess that it is one of those apps that most music lovers would want, and it actually exists! The app is to find the name of any song you are listening to. You just need to tap on a circle of the app and the app will record what it is listening to. Then the app will tell you what song it has heard. That way you know who sings it and the name of the song. It lets you listen to soundtracks from all around the world and the most important songs. You can also watch the video clips of the songs you are searching for. The only thing that would make it better is if it could let you download the songs you want and if you could listen to the whole songs. Other than that I think it is very useful and everyone should have it in their smartphones. I would rate this app with 4 stars. It is one of the best apps for music lovers as I said before. I am sure everyone has wished for an app like this and now it is available. MAITE ÁLVAREZ September Portal Writing Challenge winner
TITANIC, A MOMENT FROM THE FILM
PALOMA ALMODÓVAR Senior 7
REALITY SHOWS AND TALENT SHOWS Reality shows and talent shows are very influential and popular nowadays, especially with teenagers and Young adults. Our opinion about them is that the entertainment of reality shows is based on making fun out of violent fights, and their point is to raise money from the votes of the audience. We think people enjoy them because they make people feel like their opinions matter. In contrast, the objective of talent shows is to find people with special abilities and to give them the opportunity to become well-known. The goal of talent shows is also to inspire young people to follow their dreams.
The negative effects on young people are that reality shows can teach teenagers to be more aggressive and to get used to arguing. It also makes them think that they could be rich and famous though hardly working when in reality this is only true for a few people. Talent shows may make some people have lower self-esteem if they aren´t able to pass the auditions or are judged too hard. To sum up, although they can be a good form of entertainment, people shouldn´t take them too seriously. SANDRA LÁZARO and LOLA YUSTE Senior 6
33 We are - Critics
Junior winner folder competition Jimena Casillas received her prize from teacher Joanne Kay
YearBook
So there he was, on the prow of the ship. It was sailing into a strong headwind, which caused his hair to ruffle but that didn’t seem to bother him as he wasn’t doing anything about it. Then, she appeared and started trying to apologise for something when, to her astonishment, he stopped her. The guy asked her to close her eyes. The girl did and followed his instructions. He stood behind her as they stood on top of the security bars. She opened her arms wide and after that, her eyes too. With the wind hitting them, the woman gazed in amusement at the sea and felt like she was flying. It looked like he had been planning this moment for a long time. The man embraced her. They looked deeply into each other’s eyes and shared their first kiss.
THE HARRY POTTER SERIES When I was asked about my favourite book during my childhood, Harry Potter immediately popped into my mind. I first read it when I was seven years old, right after the third movie was released and since then I’ve been captivated by the story. Although it may seem easier to watch the films I suggest reading the books in order to enjoy all the details that make the world of Harry Potter much more unforgettable. YearBook
The author created really deep characters that evolve and grow during the course of the story, which allows the reader to understand the plot more profoundly.
We are - Critics
34
CECILIA MANZANO Senior 10
EMMA WATSON I admire Emma Watson because she is a friendly actress and is very generous. I first saw her in Harry Potter and I have remained a big fan. She earns a lot of money but she kindly donates a lot of it as well. Emma is a French person, who at five, went to London to live there. She started being an actress when she was eleven because she auditioned for Harry Potter. Can you believe that she did the audition as a joke with her friends? Imagine the face of her friends when she told then she was going to do the film of Harry Potter! One of her achievements is that she is one of the youngest actresses that has starred in a film. I admire her because I think that she is generous, kind and clever. She is very good with her fans and is not stupid like other famous people, like Miley Cyrus or Demi Lovato! She is perfect and when I am older I want to be like her. That’s why I admire Emma Watson. LUCÍA GARRIDO Junior 3 (Sagrados Corazones)
The protagonist, Harry Potter, is a boy who lost his parents when he was born and was mistreated by his relatives his whole life and who in spite of this, became a decent and brave person. However, he isn’t the archetypical hero, he is insecure and doubtful and often dwells upon the similarities between Voldemort and himself, which illustrates his humanity. On the other hand, Voldemort is the antagonist, a very ambitious wizard who only cared about power and immortality, killing and torturing anyone who got in his way. There are also other extremely important characters in the universe created by J.K. Rowling that manifest optimism, insanity, weakness, fear, loyalty, friendship, uniqueness, intelligence, kindness, wisdom and love, which gives the reader the chance of relating to the narrative. It is truly a series that everyone should read because it portrays important morals such as bravery, family values, friendship, loyalty, honour, learning how to cope with death and fighting against injustice. These are ideals that every child and adult should acquire and be able to relate to. This is what makes these books so enduring. I highly recommend this saga to anyone who wants to enjoy an entertaining story full of humorous lines, dramatic events and complex relationships as well as travelling to a fantastic world where magic is real and an everyday event. SARA BARRERA Senior 10
ALEJANDRA GAMBI and GUILLERMO RODRÍGUEZ Pink
In the film they were the Gru’s servants (the film’s main character), but they became more popular than any other character in the film; nevertheless, I hate them because I think that they don’t deserve their popularity and I will explain you why. Firstly, I should talk about their appearance. Minions are small, yellow creatures with a single eye, glasses and blue pants. How can someone find that cute or pretty?? If you give that description to someone who hasn’t watched the film, he will
GUILLERMO MORENO Junior 2
Added to that, we have the spin-off which was released in 2015, ‘The Minions’. Everyone told me that I had to watch it but after I had done it I not only hated even more these little monsters, but also I thought that the film looked as if was done by monkeys: the plot is completely stupid and it pretends to be funny it isn’t at all. In conclusion, I think that minions are small, very overrated monsters and it would be better if they disappeared; however, I know that it won’t happen due to their current popularity. There will be always something that you hate and the rest of people love. That’s life! MIGUEL SANTOS Senior 7
35 We are - Critics
In 2010 ‘Despicable me’, was released, an American computer-animated film from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment. The film earned positive reviews from critics, and grossed over $543 million worldwide, against a budget of $69 million; however, there was something that had even more success than the movie: The Minions.
probably think that you are talking about a small monster, not about something “cute”. The best proof of this is that the film producers didn’t expect the success that they had.
YearBook
MINIONS
MADRID
A FRIGHT IN MOROCCO
If you want a really good holiday, you should go to Madrid.
On the summer of my tenth year of life, I went to Morocco on holiday with my parents and my little sister and older brother. This story takes place in Marrakech, which we were visiting after having gone to quite a lot of other cities in Morocco in the weeks before. This vacation was organized by my mother, of course - she has a soft spot for road trips that go on for months on end.
YearBook
Have you ever thought about visiting Madrid? If you haven’t, I will give you some reasons to come to Madrid.
We are - The World
36
Madrid is an amazing city with stunning views, and beautiful landscape. There is a range of restaurants and leisure activities. The prices of hotels are often affordable for all types of visitors. You should bear in mind that Madrid has many things to see, and for this reason if you want a relaxing atmosphere, you should go to another place. Despite the fact that the economy of Spain is not good, Madrid has crowds of tourists every year. Furthermore, tourism is the principle sector of Spain’s economy. In addition, Spanish food is great. In conclusion, Madrid is an incredible city with lots of things to do and it is not too expensive. It is one of the favourite places for tourists. MIRELLA FERNÁNDEZ Senior 5
SILVIA HORTA and OLALLA VILLAVERDE Junior 5
We were looking for a place to eat after spending the morning in a mosque and the first place we found in our weariness was a Moroccan café. Unfortunately, my sister, who has always had problems with food ever since she was a little baby, couldn’t find anything she liked to eat. Of course, we then started to get desperate. After about three weeks in that country, we were only too aware of how hard it was to find a place where my sister liked the food, where the price was reasonable and the food was edible. Then we found a solution to our problem: one of the waiters knew of a pizzeria just around the corner, and, of course, my sister absolutely loves pizza. So, when the waiter offered to take my sister to the pizzeria my parents thankfully agreed. Looking back on this now, I can’t make sense of my parents’ decision to let a Moroccan waiter take my sister to a pizzeria instead of accompanying her themselves, and maybe there’s some essential part of this story that I can’t remember or simply couldn’t comprehend at the time. For the purposes of this story, let’s pretend their behavior was normal, because this is how I remember things happening that day. So there went my sister and the waiter, heading to a pizzeria just around the corner, while we, hoping that we wouldn’t have to go search for another
café, started looking more carefully through the menu, trying to decide what to order. It didn’t take us long to realize they had been gone for quite some time, so my father decided to go look for my sister, but he couldn’t see a pizzeria in sight, even after going around the entire block.
Although I don’t believe any experience can really change you, at that moment I knew with certainty that I would never forget that place: the smelly café - as were almost all the restaurants I set foot in in Morocco - my sister acting as if nothing had happened, every single client ogling at us, and the waiter explaining that the pizzeria was not around the corner, but two blocks away. MATILDE DE MAGALHAES 9 Senior
LAS FALLAS Legend has it that the beginning of this tradition was some centuries ago when the city of Valencia suffered a famine and they asked Our Lady of the Forsaken (Virgin de los Desamparados) for help. They were defenseless and the Our Lady helped them with some good crops so they began to gather together in some associations called “Comisiones Falleras” to offer her flowers in token of gratitude. The Falleros also began to contribute the falla with old furniture to burn the bad feelings, emotions, or things that they had suffered that year. Nowadays we continue doing this, but in a different way because everything develops. Now we build, with lots of effort and some money, huge monuments that we put in the middle of the roads and after a week we burn them. We dress-up as the original ladies did and we offer flowers to Our Lady asking or thanking her for the things that have turned out to be favorable for us. This festival or traditional celebration lasts six days but as soon as we burn a monument we start to build the next one, so fallas doesn´t really have an ending. We spend those six days having meals all together, organizing street markets, organizing children’s activities, going to clubs at night and the most important part; we spend six days of our lives every year having fun. Our comisiones have become our big family, and the casal, where we meet and decide what to do, has become our home. PATRICIA AMPARO PASTRANA Senior 7
37 We are - The World
During those dreadful minutes, I have no recollection of my parents, I only vaguely remember seeing everyone in the café staring at us sympathetically - I must have been a pitiful sight- and my brother asking repeatedly where my sister was. Then, through my haze, I saw my little sister, small and still chubby-cheeked, walking hand in hand with the waiter, who was carrying a box of pizza, both smiling happily and heading towards us.
Las Fallas, Patricia Amparo Pastrana, our fallera mayor.
YearBook
When he came back with this news, my mind immediately jumped to the worst conclusions possible, thoughts started going around in my head at the speed of light, and I was consumed with a feeling unlike any other, one I am hardly able to describe. I was left breathless just thinking about what might have been happening to my little sister, my vision instantly blurred, and I lost all sense of time. Hours or perhaps minutes passed before I realized I was sobbing hysterically, bawling my sister’s name while my brother hugged me and cried just as much and me.
YearBook
We are - The World
38 ALBA SÁNCHEZ Junior 2
A LIFE LESSON The summer had passed by and it was now the time to leave. Anyone else would have been extremely excited about it, but I was not, not at all. It began in September of 2009. Then, I was just 10 years old and I had to go to a completely different country where I knew no one and where English was spoken, which of course was not my strength at all. People kept telling me it was just for a term, but that seemed like too much to me. Once I arrived at that school, which I hated from the beginning for separating me from my family and friends, the first thing I saw through my eyes blurred with tears were the fake smiles people always give when they want to welcome you to a terrifying place, trying to make it look better. Of course this might work with some people, but it did not with me. Just at the second I looked at that bald man´s eyes I knew that these were going to be the worse three months of my life. Guided through the whole school by a lady named Miss Bayle, I finally got to my room - well if I could call that my
room. My room was really at home and that was just the bed where I was going to sleep for the next twelve weeks with five more girls who did not take their smile off of their faces. Do not ask me why, I was thinking the exact same thing. I supposed it was because they had their mum right next to them helping them to unpack and do their bed whilst mine was a thousand kilometres away. Actually, I got to know some of them and I got to say “hi” to some of them because I could not remember their name two seconds after telling me. My head was not concentrating on that. The only thing I could think about was finding the way to escape from that nightmare that had just started. The only question I could ask was: what am I doing here? The only answer my head gave to all of this was to cry as if there were no tomorrow. Days passed and everything began to get a little bit easier, which was not really hard,
HIDDEN BEACHES IN ASTURIAS Hidden beaches in Asturias are always a great place to escape from the routine of everyday life. Its natural and pure water transmits a sensation of peace and calm. I used to go there with my family. It was definitely my favourite place and it still is.
to be honest. I could understand four words in a row, I could sit next to someone in lessons… It really was a big step, at least for me. Without seeing it coming, my time there was coming to an end. Who would have told me three months earlier that this would become the best experience in my life? I know everyone would but I would never have believed it until that day, the day I had to come back to Spain. The day I had to leave all these incredible friends I had made, that little school which I ended up calling “home”; the hockey matches and the match tea that came with them; the school assembly, the crazy nights with all my friends when we would not be quiet; the weekends out; the delicious food the cooks made for us; watching X - Factor every Sunday evening or the “just dance” games that we all used to play in the common room. It was time to say good bye to all this, the tears were for the exact same reason: I did not want to leave “home”.
LOLA GIRÁLDEZ Senior 8
It is difficult to understand how a place can become your home within three months, and it is impossible to explain. It just does. It is difficult even for me, when I was the first one who believed no one who had told me these were going to be the best three months of my life; that they were going to be the three months I would always remember and the ones I was going to talk to my children about in a few years’ time. From one day to another, it just did. Everything changed and became clear. I had been there for a reason. Maybe that was what was meant to happen. Maybe this is life. Maybe, sometimes, great expectations bring you down and, at other times, it is the reverse. I do not know, the only thing I knew was that this experience had changed my life; had made me look at things from another angle; had made me grow as a person; had taught me so many things I could not be more grateful for. ELISA ANGUIANO 9 Senior
39 We are - The World
The natural environment is the perfect place where one can enjoy a new experience with
Overall I find these beaches one of the most fascinating places I have ever had the opportunity to go to. They bring back beautiful memories of my family and the unforgettable days we spent there together. I highly recommend them because in spite of the effort made to find them, these virgin territories are really worth seeing.
YearBook
These beaches are called “hidden” because they are really difficult to find and don’t usually appear on maps. As they are usually deserted, being unspoilt by mass tourism is one of their main attributes. Due to this they are left untouched. You are able to breathe fresh unpolluted air as well as hear the sound of the waves clearly. As these beaches are in Spain, people might think that the heat of the sun might be unbearable, but the truth is that the weather that characterizes Asturias, cool and sunny, makes it perfect for a day on the beach.
their family. For instance, you can swim in its crystalline water and catch as much fish as you are able to, or go for long walks with your parents without being disturbed by any people passing by. Owing to the windy weather, kites are easily flown and the sea is excellent for surfing. Therefore I think these activities are propitious for these conditions.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE WEEKEND?
YearBook
Madrid is a fun place if you know where to look. It is not the same if you visit a residential area than if you have a walk around the Gran Via. Have you ever visited the fun part of the city?
We are - The World
40
ÁLVARO GALÁN and ISA ASENJO Junior 4
A VISIT TO SEGOVIA Seldom do my family and I find the time to spend the day out of Madrid. Nevertheless, this summer we got the chance to go to Segovia. Having never seen the place before, I didn´t know what to expect. Soon however, all my fears were allayed. I was pleasantly surprised by the city. We traipsed around the historic centre, which had a lively atmosphere. I would like to highlight the two tourist attractions which I liked the most. One was the Alcazar, which is an immensely ancient castle. The towers mainly consist of some stone stairs, and when you reach the top of them, you will see the entire city. Not only are the views breath taking, they are exhilarating as well. The aqueduct is an outstanding monument, which is the emblematic symbol of Segovia. It is composed of many arches. I am actually beginning to run out of words to really how impressive it is! At lunch time we found a restaurant which was reasonably priced. Aromas wafted from the kitchen, and the meal had a heavenly taste. Were I to sum up this experience, in my view, it ticks all the right boxes, and if you want to spend a day out with all the family, I would definitely recommend visiting Segovia as it more than lives up to the hype. SONIA OGALLA Senior 8
The good tourists know the best place of the city are hidden, in narrow streets or in places you can´t imagine. Others simply are well known and everyone knows them. The most famous places are for example: the theme park of Madrid, the Warner Brothers park, the zoo, the Gran Via, Sol square, Opera, La Castellana, Prado museum or Plaza Mayor. In these places you can have a walk in the crowded streets, visit the animals at the zoo, have fun in huge rollercoasters or even enjoy the art of Picasso in the Prado museum. All of
CLAUDIA’S DREAM HOME It has to be very big, 5 floors. A little cinema with a machine too make popcorn and with lots of candies. It has one floor with robots that I have to tell what to do, and they do it. My bedroom has to be very big, and the house has a garden and a lift. In the garden are fruit and flowers. It has a room to play in and in the kitchen there is lots of food. It has lots of windows,
them essential if you come to Madrid, but always full of tourists.
but in one room there is a little restaurant. It has lots of rooms for my family and friends. There is a little supermarket too, like in Masterchef. There are machines to do a lot of things like make toys or books. There is one big bathroom with a spa and a pool in the garden. CLAUDIA INIESTRA Yellow
41
Senior folder competition winner Ruth Redondo received her prize from Assistant Teaching Centre manager Martin Goosey
We are - The World
CARLOTA MOLINA Senior 7
YearBook
My favourite places are the hidden ones. One is the Circulo de Bellas Artes where nobody expects it to have an incredible roof terrace where you can enjoy the skyline and the best views of the city. Then you also must visit San GinĂŠs Churreria between Opera and Sol in a small street, but with probably the best churros of the world, it is a perfect option for having a snack and eating it in front of the Real Palace. Finally my favourite place is the park of the Temple of Debod with incredible views of all Madrid at the same time you are in a small and relaxed place in the middle of the city. It also has a lively atmosphere. All these places are really near so you can spend an incredible day at the same time you do the common tourist route. So, are you still going to go to the tourist attractions?
JOURNEY TO SOUTH AFRICA
YearBook
Accidents only happen to others. They can´t happen to me, I thought. I always think about that when I travel by plane. I hate planes, but I always need to travel very fast to different cities or countries for business.
We are - The World
42
My job? I´m a bank director and was travelling to South Africa. I had presentations to give to the workers of the company. People ask me why I don´t use a computer but I simply don’t like them, they are very heavy and very weird. I was organizing all the papers when a women with her son sat next to me, the boy had a toy planet and he was simulating a crash with it. I laughed a lot. Suddenly the women took the plane from the child, she was very nervous. The boy started to cry, he was shouting and I didn’t realize that all the people started to shout pointing to the left wing of the plane , it was on fire! Suddenly the pilot opens the cabin and shouted to us: “don´t worry we´re going to do an emergency landing, take your seat and don’t move “. It was like a movie, but in this case I was really frightened. From the window I didn´t see anything because there was a lot of cloud... suddenly we all saw an enormous sand dune, and then we hit it, I blocked out. Hours later the pilot found me and took me out of the plane, we were lucky, only 7 persons survived, the pilot, the women and her son, a man, a couple, and myself. We made a little hut with some parts of the plane and we took all the food from it too. The pilot sent some radio messages to the nearest city but they didn’t respond. I met the man, he was from South Africa and he was going to see his family, his name was Umar. He told me that he works in a factory in the UK. The next day I could see an arid and dry landscape. It was like the planet of Tatooine of the film “Star Wars” that I went to see it a few years ago. I think that in the time that I had been in the desert it changed me. I started to
appreciate the things I had because we didn´t have anything there and I learnt to share what I had. In conclusion an experience that changed my mind. We lived in the desert for two weeks, and each day was worse than the previous, we started to have less food. When the couple died on Sunday we prayed a lot, for all it was a very important day for our religion. I don´t go usually to church but after this I went every Sunday. Days later Umar sent me to look for something in his bag, a bottle of water, but when I went and I opened the bag I found a TNT activator! In one second I realized who had made this, suddenly I heard a lot of screams I ran to the hut. I found the pilot, the women, and Umar dead. The little boy only survived. He told me between tears that Umar had killed them because they knew that he was the terrorist, then he killed himself. I broke into tears too, I thought that this was our end, I didn´t know anything about how to survive... When I left UK I was a little fat, but after two weeks I looked horrible, we didn´t drink or eat much, but on the Friday morning I wake up in a tent, and in front of me a big man, who spoke very bad English. He told me that he saw the smoke from our hut. I asked him about the boy, he told me that he was well. The man and his tribe took me to Rabat. On the journey I talked to the child, he told me that he was 9 years old and he don´t have a father. Poor boy I thought and I asked him if he wanted to be part of my family. Now he is 18 years old and he´s studying Architecture. Now I´m retired and I have a wonderful family but that accident changed my life, mentally and physically. But some good can come out of bad experiences. ÁLVARO CONCORDE Senior 5 (Writing Circle)
YearBook
43
MY VISIT TO THE CARNIVAL IN VENICE This year, between the 11th and 21st of February I spent an incredible week with my friends in Venice, a beautiful city situated in Italy’s northeast corner. To get into Venice, we got a two and a half hour flight from Barajas’s airport to Treviso’s airport. This carnival has been celebrated for about a thousand years, although it wasn’t until the 18th century when European aristocrats began to visit Venice in order to admire the incredible customs. The atmosphere is what I liked most, Venice inhabitants wandered and paraded through the streets taking photos with lots of tourists, dressed as the nobility of the 18th century. Customs include a variety of colours and brightness, which jump out at you, and pompous three-pointed hats with feathers. However, masks are for what this carnival is most
characterized by and make it unique. At first, they were used to hide the noble’s identity so that the peasants couldn’t recognize them. These are mostly gold, silver and white coloured. Each of us bought our own mask for 10 euros, I used mine every day I spent there and now I have hung it up in my bedroom wall. It is a nice souvenir to remember this trip and I recommend everyone buys one. To sum up, what impressed me most was how well they maintained their country’s culture, buying costumes which approximately cost one thousand euros and instilling in their children the tradition. I hope this carnival lasts forever and that someday I can go back with my family. SILVIA MORATINOS Senior 7
We are - The World
SANDRA POZA Senior 8
THE LIGHT AND DARK SIDE OF MADRID
YearBook
Cities are getting bigger lately. Madrid has doubled its size in just the last ten years. But, does everyone know the dark side of Madrid?
We are - The World
44
Huw’s Pinks at Valdeluz celebrated Saint David’s Day by making leeks, the national symbol of Wales.
BARCELONA: A GREAT PLACE FOR A FAMILY HOLIDAY One way of really relaxing and getting away from it all for my family and I, is going to Barcelona. My father was born there, and twice a year we travel there, and we visit his family. Moreover, my family have just bought a holiday home there, and we are all very excited! For us, it is a special place because we have experienced so many things together in this North-eastern Mediterranean city. Barcelona can offer a wide diversity of culture, as there are dozens of museums and art galleries dotted around the city, so you will always have plenty of adventures whilst there. Furthermore, Barcelona is home to masterpieces of many great architects, such as Antonio Gaudí and his giant basilica, ‘La Sagrada Familia’. You should also order sangria at one of the many bars, and sit back and enjoy the sun and sea. But definitely my favourite part is the night-time, as this city is almost as lively at night as it is during the day, and it has a unique atmosphere that makes the experience unforgettable. All these things combine to make us fall in love with Barcelona. Looking back, I think we would all agree that everyone should visit this magic city where you will never get bored. MÓNICA SEGURA Senior 8
First of all, let’s start with the advantages, the side of the coin that everyone knows. Madrid is a huge city, not what we call a sprawling city, but with roughly seven million residents it is up to the third most populated in Europe. Is it too overwhelming? Is it an advantage or a disadvantage? Also, we should take into account the enormous variety of local facilities that this attractive town has. You have all you can imagine, from a gloomy run-down neighbourhood, to a lovely expensive fashionable boutique and a few lively bars and restaurants. Another fact that we can’t forget is the huge transport facilities; it is very easy to get around, you have an important range of public transport services which you can always use. Last but not least, you can always benefit from the job opportunities that Madrid offers you. Let’s now talk about the disadvantages. First of all, I must mention the pollution that every day is thrown into the atmosphere. Even the air we breathe is very contaminated. Is it a healthy place to live in? Also, another very controversial question…Is it the best place to educate children? Do cities make children too ambitious and impatient? Honestly, I can’t answer this very scientifically, but as a teenager, I don’t think I am an impolite little-person. So, is Madrid a good city to live in? If you are looking for an exciting place to live, Madrid is certainly perfect for you! There is more to do and see in Madrid that you will ever achieve in your life! The city is home to everything from some of the world’s best museums and art galleries to theatres, cinemas and green spaces like the Retiro Park. You will never run out of things to do in Madrid! PAULA MUÑOZ Senior 7
CELIA’S FUTURE When I was 3 years old, my family and my parent’s friends asked me “What do you want to be? Do you want a pet? Where would you like to live? I wanted to be many things, especially a teacher or a cashier in a supermarket. My father bought me a cash register with a plastic basket full of food. In the future I imagine working with a camera and taking a lot of photos and videos for TV, or a computer engineer inventing a lot of new programs. Also I imagine having a family and living in a house with a garden. I would love to go to a dog pound and take out two dogs and I will be able to go to a vet, play with them, and bring them for walks.
I imagine marrying a handsome boy in a place full of nature with all of my family and all of my friends.
CELIA ESCUDERO Junior 2
YearBook
In my free time I’m going to listen to a lot of music and I’m going to go out with my friends. I’m going to study for a college degree and work to have some money. I would like to write a blog about many things.
45 We are - The Future
A FUTURE MACHINE
YearBook
BLANCA CALERO Red
We are - The Future
46
MY ASPIRATIONS IN LIFE ARE VERY AMBITIOUS My aspirations in life are very ambitious, but in all my life I won’t give up. I will study in Oxford, one of the best universities in the world. I will study economics because I love maths. I also love English of course and this is the reason I will study in England. I will live in England with my girlfriend. I will probably have a big house in the centre of the town. I hope that I will have a lot of cars Ferraris or Maseratis or something like that. After that I will work in the best company in the world. I will be at junior level, but I think then I will be the best at my job. Maybe I will change to another job to earn a higher salary. I will be a good person and share my money with poor people. I’m sure I will visit my family every weekend. JAVIER RODRÍGUEZ Junior 2
YearBook
47 We are - The Future
MARÍA OSACAR Junior 2
YearBook
We are - The Future
48
BRUNO E STEVE Yellow (Cla watching ret) the volcan oes erupt
TERESA TORAL Yellows (Claret) made a big volcano at home
COVADONGA ARIAS and JULIA ARMIENS Yellows (Claret) worked together to make a model volcano
MY JOURNEY TO SPACE
YearBook
12th of March:I’m really nervous because I’ve never been in space. Today we’re taking off and starting our exploration. Since I was 10 years old I have wanted to discover how the universe behaves and I think that this trip will help my investigation. 18th of March: Oh no! this is terrible! The microchip that controls all the spaceship has broken and it can only be repaired from space. I’ve decided that I’ll go out there to repair it.
FRANCESCA SCOTTI Junior 1
We are - The Future
It was difficult but I think that I’ve finally repaired the microchip now I’ll go inside with the others and all this will only be a bad experience. 24th of March: Eureka! My theory about the universe is finished. The universe where we live is huge but finite. At the end of “our” universe there is a black hole and then another universe starts, and then the same and the same and the same. Maybe this theory is wrong, but who knows? After all it’s a theory. 30th of March: Today we’re starting our way back home. In part I am sad about this, but I’m impatient about seeing my family. The end (or the beginning?). MARÍA GARCÍA DE LA PLAZA Junior 2
49
RAFA’S DREAM HOUSE I want to live in a castle with a housekeeper, with a chef, a chauffeur, a waiter and a butler. In the store room we have a theatre and a cinema in the film studio. We have a giant kitchen a bedroom with a dog on the mat and a painting of on the door. A bed with a big costume next to the window and we have a big door with a knob of gold. The bedroom for my parents is very big with a very big bed and the lights are in the ceiling. In the bathroom we have a gold bath with lots of decoration. We have two bedrooms, one bathroom, one living room and a big kitchen. RAFAEL VITA Yellow
MY SPACE DIARY
WHEN I’M 25
I’m an astronaut from the earth. I’m travelling with my friend Tim.
When I’m 25 years old I think I won’t be married. I will only have a girlfriend who I hope will be very beautiful. I’m sure I will live in a big house with my future girlfriend and perhaps I will have a lot of good cars like Ferraris or mountain cars. Maybe I will live in Madrid and I will be famous because I will be an actor. If I can’t be an actor I will be a soldier.
YearBook
2 July 2086 (earth date)
We are - The Future
50
We are orbiting Kurm to identify what they are doing there. We are very careful because it’s dangerous. 4 July 2086 Qurtoum identified us and is coming to our spaceship! Qurtoum is the King of Kurm planet. He has many powers, and our spaceship is too old to escape. 7 July 2086 Qurtoum has caught us. I´m scared; we are in a dungeon and it’s very dark. 10 July 2086 We have a plan to escape from the prison and we call our friends that are in Murmn. They are going to rescue us with other humans and good aliens. 14 July 2086 Our friends have landed on this planet to rescue us and they have arms, a lot of arms. 15 July 2086 We are free! Our friends have saved us and have brought arms to us. Now we are coming to our house on Earth. Home sweet home! RAMÓN BAIGET Junior 2 (Esclavas)
Probably I will have 2 babies, a boy and a girl and I will go to the amusement park with my children and fly to a lot of countries. I will go to a lot of countries with my friends and I’m sure that I will continue drawing because I love drawing. ENEKO ALLENDE Junior 5
TECHNOLOGY Do you like studying technology? I do. Why do I like it so much? Well I like it because I want to work in Google and I love to work with computers and programming and I also like it so much because my teacher tells us how to make video games and hack.
JORGE MARTÍNEZ Junior 5
30 YEARS FROM NOW I think my neighbourhood will be very different in 30 years from now. The structure of the streets might be really similar and the river Manzanares, well, that must be in the same place. But what will change? Most things. The cars will be different, most of the schools and the houses will be new, maybe with roofs full of grass, trees and flowers. The stadium of Atletico de Madrid will move out to another place in Madrid. People who live here now will probably be dead, move out to other cities or will go to other places in Madrid.
LAURA MATEO Senior 5
LIVIA CILLERUELO Junior 5
51 We are - The Future
So in conclusion, it’s important to learn about technology because we use it every day of our lives and it’s important to help us improve them.
YearBook
I think it’s important because now we have technology everywhere and from my point of view when we become adults, we will have robots for everything and it will be important to know how they work and make our lives easier.
YearBook
By: Mencía González Martín, Lucía Gil Romero, Alejandra Sánchez-Terán (JUNIOR 2)
Look at her. She is a swot!!!
Photostories
52
This is so difficult
I’M starving
Why do you laugh at me…?
Lola was very worried because Eva and Sara were making fun of her, so she decided to talk with them when the teacher wasn’t in class. Lola doesn’t know why they are so mean to her.
I’m tired. This is a boring class
We can be friends…
Yes, but you must give us your homework every day.
It was another typical day in the boring English class. Eva, a nervous, annoying and talkative girl and her friend Sara, a popular, but lazy and bad-tempered girl, were making fun of Lola, a clever, shy and hard-working student.
Come on! Quickly give us the answers!
Ok, here you are.
Eva and Sara insisted on getting Lola’s homework. She didn’t have any choice. But she wanted to teach them a lesson so she put a surprise in it.
YearBook
When the teacher corrected the homework, Eva and Sara had all answers wrong, and the teacher punished them. The whole class laughed at them, and Eva and Sara felt so bad that they never annoyed Lola ever again.
Now we’re going to pass all the exams
Ummm... I’M HUNGRY
I will get my revenge!!!!
53 Photostories
Lola gave them the wrong answers on the homework, but Eva and Sara didn’t know. The bad girls thought that they are going to be more popular in the class and they were going to have all the homework right.
What am I laughing about? I’M STILL HUNGRY
FINALLY REVENge!!
THE END
YearBook
BEATRIZ BUQUERÍN Senior 5
We are - Essayists
54 OUR SOCIETY NOWADAYS Let´s look at the past. Cars were a privilege, but now it is rare if someone travels on foot. Though gyms and fitness sports have grown popular, obesity is a problem that is striking our society hard, especially in the richer countries. What will we become? There are theories, of course. On one hand, some people say we will end up fat and unable to move, sitting on flying machines that will move us around. On the other hand, it is said that we will feed ourselves with pills that will give us the necessary energy for our body, nothing less and nothing more. Nobody knows what will really happen; it is up to us to go down one way or another. Statistics show that obesity has become a real a real problem amongst young children. Raising youngsters to believe that they can eat what they want, whenever they want, will only lead us to a sedentary society. Exercise is important, not only for keeping in shape but also for our health: running, for example, makes our heart grow stronger, pushing blood harder through our body and avoiding related problems.
Technology is fully involved in this issue and has helped us, of course. Cars make it easier to travel, phones make it easier to stay in touch and, now, there are new machines to help us avoid the great effort of walking. Getting used to these kinds of privileges will not be good in the long run. In the past, people didn´t have half of the facilities we have nowadays, but still, grandparents and even our parents remember those times as the best. Why is this? The answer is simple: they knew there was life far away from the couch. Children and teenagers spend more and more time at home, living an unreal life through social media and videogames. Bad food habits are created mainly because, since these children were born, they have been given what they asked for and it is too late when restrictions start. If we are not careful, we will find ourselves in a sedentary world where there is a machine to tie our shoes. BLANCA ZARZALEJOS Senior 10
TEENAGERS AS TEACHERS AND LEARNERS
On the one hand, cities are bigger than villages; so, most of the time we´ll find more choices, for example, job opportunities. It will be easier to find a job as a journalist in a city than in a village. Also when you wake up on a sunny day you can get around with your friends or on a dull day you can go to the cinema or window shopping in a mall. However, we have to consider some disadvantages too. Cities are quite stressful and crowded, that is pretty overwhelming. This is related to the population and no one is spared from it. On the other hand, villages are more peaceful. There aren’t skyscrapers, you are surrounded by nature, a blue sky and a stunning landscape; there’s barely any pollution. But it’s quite a bit more difficult to hang out with your friends to a lively bar or go night clubbing in a village. There are fewer people, which can be an advantage or a disadvantage. From my point of view, I prefer living in a city because I’m a sociable and ambitious teenager, and I love going to the cinema and hanging out with my friends. But probably when I grow up I’d like to live in the mountains with my husband away from the stress of the city. Although nowadays I choose the city to live in. PAZ GARCÍA VELLOSO Senior 7
In conclusion, teenagers can teach about some important aspects of life, like technology, but as well they have a lot to learn about the environment or how to help younger people. COVADONGA FRANCO Junior 6
SANDRA SÁNCHEZ Senior 10
55 We are - Essayists
Nowadays most teenagers do not care about the environment, but it is very important and I think that teenagers should learn more about the environment before teaching anyone. We know too that some pupils get bullied in school and they need help. Parents and teachers can’t help much but real experiences from teenagers could be a great help. Teens could teach younger people how to defend themselves or fight back against a bully.
Roughly 50 years ago people used to live in villages, but quite a lot moved to cities looking for jobs opportunities when they started running out of them, and finally stayed. But which place is best to live in?
YearBook
From my point of view teenagers are the next generation which means they have to learn. But can they teach? That is a question I never before asked myself. Some teenagers are very responsible and so could teach, but others… better not to talk about them. Teenagers for example know a lot about technology. Older people have no idea. Teenagers can help older people to understand and use it. For instance, my grandma has no idea how to use her ipad and one time went into her bath with it. When she put it in the water the ipad broke and she went mad. I told her that electronic equipment couldn’t get wet but she yelled that she was going to complain to the company.
WAKING UP SURROUNDED BY MOUNTAINS OR SKYCRAPERS?
YearBook
A MAGICAL NIGHT
We are - Essayists
56
Personally, Christmas is my favorite vacation of the year. A time when you can see all your family and relatives, everybody seems cheerful wherever you go, the cities and the streets get decorated with beautiful ornaments and colourful lights. Surprisingly, I even think Christmas is also the tastiest celebration in the year: Three Wise Men´s cake, marzipan, turrón” and “Pannettone”. However, there is a specific day I prefer the most over all the holidays: the Epiphany, the 5th of January, at night - definitely a magical night. The reason why I love it is because I have a large family with lots of cousins (younger and older) so I really enjoy this tradition. Every year is almost the same but I always end that day with a wide smile on my face. It all starts on the evening of the 5th of January, in a small village in Badajoz where my mother is from. The whole family comes to my grandparent’s house to see the parade of the Three Wise Men because they pass in front of the door. The cavalcade is very humbly made and the floats are pulled by tractors, from which several children throw sweets from there, some of them in a really violent way (two years ago my father´s car got scratched because of this). After that, we all go with our little cousins to the City Hall, where Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar give a speech telling the children to behave well during the New Year and always say ´Thank you ‘and ´Please´ so they could receive their presents instead of coal. Finally comes my favourite part of the day: going home and seeing what we have received from the Three Wise Men. Following the tradition, this could seem weird because children always get their presents the morning of the 6th but, in my family, it has always been done in this way. So, when all my cousins and I (there are 14 in total) are in front of the closed doors of my grandparents house, all nervous and excited, my father opens the door and we all run like a herd of wildebeests into the living room which is full of presents wrapped in colourful and diverse papers. Some of them are enormous; others pretty small, some of them seem to be clothes while others, smartphones, videogames, Playmobil, Legos or books. In the end, it does not really matter as you enjoy the situation, the moment, the matchless atmosphere...When all the gifts have been opened, all the family has the delicious “Three Wise Men´s Cake”, with chocolate, cream or just normal, or without anything, my favourite. This is how my Christmas holidays come to the end. As I said before, it always happens in the same way. Nevertheless, I could not imagine a better or more inimitable ending for this story. DESIRÉ BERNÁLDEZ Senior 9
CATALONIA We often hear about Catalonia. Catalonia, is an autonomous region which is mentioned everywhere in newspapers, on TV and in the radio. The main reason for this phenomenon is that there are some people there who want Catalonia to be independent from Spain. Nevertheless, there are other groups of people from Catalonia who want to keep this autonomy as a part of Spain. On the one hand, the people from Catalonia in favour of becoming independent are claiming the intention of achieving their goal almost every day. The separatists are led by Arthur Mas, a politician who has spent years trying to make a referendum in this autonomy. The referendum would be made to know how many people in Catalonia want their Independence for this autonomy. However, there are other opinions about making a referendum. There are people who think that the referendum should be made in the whole country and not only in Catalonia. On the other hand, there are a group of
ELIZABETH TOLEDO Senior 6
57 Primary folder competition winner Mario Ramos received his prize from teacher Janet Prior and Senior teacher Louise Desmier
TRAVELLING WITHOUT MOVING Something I really love doing is reading. I consider it a way of travelling without moving from your seat. From the first time I started reading, I enjoyed all stories. Once you start reading a good book, you can’t wait to find out how it will finish. There are some really good facts about books, like; it’s a way of learning without studying. There’s also a lot of variety for all types of likes, adventurous ones or even romantic stories. And, after all, you can them with you anywhere. However, there are also bad things about books: you have to spend a lot of time on a book, and sometimes the one you have chosen has an awful storyline on which you have wasted a lot of time. I usually like reading in my free time, so I look forward to doing it at weekends. I frequently get a chair and a good book about adventures, rarely love, and I start reading until lunch. It is an excellent pastime! Overall, I strongly recommend reading, as it´s a way of learning things and enjoying the story at the same time. For me, it’s the best way of spending my time! MARÍA TORÁN Senior 7
We are - Essayists
After all, I think that Catalonia is part of Spain and that is the way it must stay. Some politicians are trying to manipulate Catalonia´s inhabitants by promising to achieve Independence in order to gain as many votes as they can. Nevertheless, the Independence of this territory is not legally possible. In addition, becoming independent is not convenient for this autonomy, because they would not be part of the EU.
YearBook
people in Catalonia who do not think the independence would be convenient for this autonomy. Due to the warning made by the EU, that claims that if Catalonia became independent, it would not be part of the European Union. This group of people do not think that becoming independent would be a clever choice. Furthermore, there are people living there who see themselves as Spaniards. Another concept to take into account is the fact that becoming independent is against our Constitution.
YearBook
We are - Essayists
58
NURIA HERNÁNDEZ and NAZARET MALDONADO Senior 8
24 HOUR SHOPS: ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES Many shops open every day and sometimes even at night. Some people agree with this, but others disagree. So the question is, should shops be open 24 hours every day of every week? Honestly, I totally disagree with this statement. Of course, if shops were open all day all the time, it would be an advantage for us. Sometimes, we suddenly want something in the middle of the night or so early in the morning that a normal shop is not open. So, how nice it would be if we could buy anything we need immediately! Now, think about the other side of the situation. If shops have to be open all the time, someone would have to work for those shops. These people would
have fewer holidays like Christmas or New Year’s Eve because of the work. This extra effort is not good for someone’s mental health. What is more, if these shops are open at night, everyone would have to consume more electric energy, which is not environmental at all. The best option seems to be to cut down our energy as much as possible to protect the Earth. To sum up, shops should not be open 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Furthermore, I think it would be better to think about the environment and about the shop assistant’s health first than about our selfish demands. NATALIA MAS Senior 6
Nowadays due to the impact of technology in society, we are supposed to be cyber-people who cannot resist the urge to spend our lifetimes using our devices. This does not however present a problem but will be a great advantage for primary schools in the future.
Since the beginning of the film industry, advertising in movies has always been used. Not only does advertising include specific products in films to prove more popular or boost sales, but there is also a grain of truth when we say that a great number of adverts take advantage of famous individuals just to make the product seem more reliable or attractive.
On the one hand we have the fact of learning on the internet. This will definitely change children’s way of studying and also the way children are asked to get involved in class and how they will take exams. I can see lots of advantages in this. Children will benefit from the internet but as well they could be very positively influenced by it. It is so positive because you can learn by yourself as well as having a teacher. You can learn more than you are expected to learn and what is more you can even make others benefit from your explanations just by pressing a button. Isn’t that amazing? It is true that it can be addictive and distracting but’s that’s why there are parental controls to avoid this from happening.
I would say this particularly link resembles a symbiosis. What I’m trying to say is that both parts involved in it (advertising and film industry), benefit from it.
On the other hand, many people think that for this reason the role of the teacher could be forgotten but from my point of view, the teacher is and always will be important. It is said that teachers will be made redundant but I see them as necessary because someone will always be needed to control what students are doing. Furthermore, I think that little kids will always seek help and who better than a teacher? I reckon that teachers will complement the way children learn and the way children learn will be complemented by teachers. SERGIO CLEMENTE Senior 8
First of all, advertising agencies are on the lookout for films which would draw a big crowd to ensure that the products will have more possibilities of being sold. Movies earn money in exchange for showing a specific item. What is more, producers have been using this technique of product placement as a method of financing more often lately. With regards to Hollywood filmmaking, I reckon that, as I said before, advertising agencies wisely choose the type of films they want their products to be in. There are plenty of advertising techniques in which a product is introduced in films. Some of the products are shown, mentioned or utilized by actors within the narrative. For instance, in the movie “Back to the Future” there are many scenes in which Pepsi takes centre stage. Somehow this induces the viewer to the necessity of consuming the product. Another important point to be considered is how advertisements use public images to increase sales. Take the case of adverts related to perfumes in which world-known actors take part. They just have to pretend that the specific product is the best on the market to create an effect on purchase by the masses. To conclude, it cannot be denied that advertising and film industry go hand in hand as they are intrinsically linked, without a shadow of a doubt. DESIRÉ BERNÁLDEZ Senior 9
59 We are - Essayists
A LINK BETWEEN ADVERTISING AND FILM INDUSTRY
YearBook
TECHNOLOGY CAN REPLACE TEACHERS
YearBook
We are - Essayists
60
MIGUEL ÁNGEL GARCÍA and JUAN SAN JOSÉ Senior 8
HOW I PREFER TO SPEND MY CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS If I had to single out my best moment during the Christmas holidays, without a doubt, I would choose the evening of January 5th. This day I do voluntary work because I have been a volunteer in some associations for many years. So, on that day this year, I went to the volunteer association Christmas party. It was great because all the children were very happy. There were lots of people there and in the entrance, were the Three Wise Kings who gave the children many presents. The presents had been bought by their parents but the children didn´t know the secret. The incredible moment started when a 6-year old girl opened her present. This girl, Carla, has had many health problems, in addition to a mental disability
and, to make it worse, when she was 3 years old, she lost her hand due to an illness. For this reason, Carla can´t do things like the rest of her friends, but she is always happy. When Carla opened her present, which was a new-plastic hand and the same size as her other hand, she started to cry out of happiness, and everyone, including me, was in shock. Carla´s family told us that they hadn´t bought it until then because it was too expensive and they couldn´t afford it. For me, it was a magic moment, a once in a lifetime experience, as I had not felt anything like this before. ANA TORAL Senior 8
THE ART OF ADVERTISING When Christmas arrives, people are willing to buy things and companies take the opportunity to increase sales through advertising. Every year, the Spanish lottery creates the most memorable ad of the holiday. The message is clear, sharing and wishing are the best part of buying a lottery ticket. This year the message didn’t change but they stepped up the game to a whole new level.
JESÚS VICEIRA Senior 10
SOMEONE I REALLY LOOK UP TO Is your idol a member of your family? Mine is, and she is my Aunt Ana. She is a blind and deaf person. When she was born, the doctors told my grandmother that she wouldn’t live for more than 3 years as a result of her illness. Nevertheless, she is still alive, and she’s the greatest, kindest person ever. She’s always smiling despite feeling sad or sick because of headaches. Telling bad jokes is what she always does. Besides that, she’s the person with the best memory I’ve ever met. She’s amazing!
First of all, let’s talk about the benefits and problems of cities. Throughout history cities have always been a place in demand, for living and for work. The main pros of living in a city are the following; you’ve got mostly everything you need near your house (supermarkets, shops, etc.) and you have also got public transport with which you can get around everywhere you want to. However, cities include some cons like pollution, traffic jams, etc. On the other hand we’ve got villages. They have always been places where families or couples can go on holiday or to relax for a few days. A village’s advantages are mainly silence, independence and having lots of space for jogging or going for a walk. Although lots of people love these ideas, there are also some disadvantages for example, having lots of space makes you move a lot when you need any kind of food, drink, clothes, and so on; or also the fact of being isolated here can’t really solve problems like: if you have an emergency and you’re alone, no one can help you instantly.
Ana has influenced me a lot and I admire her so much. What I like most about her is when she calls me and we start talking for hours. I´ve learnt from her that we only live life once and we should make the most of our time. I know I can always count on her; therefore I will never let her down. What about you?
To sum up, we could say that both, cities and villages have gains and drawbacks but to decide which is best depends on our individual opinion.
TERESA MARTÍN Senior 6
CANDELA GÓMEZ Senior 7
61 We are - Essayists
It is also essential to address how well the Christmas messages are implemented. Love, sharing and being nice are all present throughout the ad and create an atmosphere of warm Christmas spirit that light up our hearts as these festivities arrive. In my opinion that is what influences us most. All negative feelings fade away as we see how heart-warming everyone is in the factory in the ad, the work of the director is outstanding. Is it capturing emotion that we spectators like most about Christmas advertising? This ad shows me it certainly is.
The urban and rural environments have always been well-known opposites. There are lots of pros and cons to each one, and throughout history there has been a lot of debate, but which of them is better? Which of them holds our future? YearBook
The storyline of the ad is quite simple, Justino, a night guard in a mannequin factory makes the day work of his colleagues very pleasant. Although it is obvious that they are going to win that year, they always do in lottery ads, the visual impact shines when you can feel empathy with the leading character when his colleagues share their prize with him. It is insanely moving. I feel it is necessary to underline how difficult it is to show that emotion with a cartoon character, I mean how do they do that?
WHERE SHOULD WE LIVE, CITIES OR COUNTRYSIDE?
YearBook
We are - Essayists
62
THE SUBWAY ROW
THE RIGHT BALANCE
Have you ever felt that the whole underground was staring at you? Have you ever been distracted by a toddler who threw a tantrum there? Have you ever felt downright uncomfortable when somebody was reading your newspaper over your head? Different situations, same place, different stories - same infuriation! Don’t you just hate it?
A few years ago, kids used to go out with their friends, having fun out in the street, riding bicycles or going to the cinema ... but now times have changed.
Back in the days of my childhood, I tried to get used to the insanity of the underground, but it was beyond me. The crawling, yelling little babies on my left, and a middle-aged woman flossing her filthy teeth as if there was no tomorrow on my right. Then, I gathered strength from nowhere, I stood up, and I walked away. That’s it! I was a preteen. What could I have done? Nowadays, either my well-reached maturity or so help me God, my luck, is going to cease it once and for all, counting on your help of course. Indeed, I am thoroughly sure that I am not the one and only person in this touched world who is outraged whenever these situations are made. Perhaps it’s hard to make headway when you are bicycling into the wind, perhaps it’s demanding, but I’m sure that it is not impossible. A loud voice is necessary from time to time. Be aware, be cautious, be brave. Whenever you see these situations, do not stay quiet. Peacefulness is just around the corner, or through the subway car doors at least. The possibility of travelling in comfort is on the table, and remember, where there’s a will, there’s a way. ANA TORAL Senior 8
Due to the technological development and the great amount of pressure that is over kids, they are increasingly spending much more time at home, studying or being on the internet-than they used to. This way of living can cause a lot of problems, for instance kids might be more introverted in the future than they were in past generations, given that they don’t spend much time with the others face to face. Another important result is that the lack of exercise is making them weaker and it is really unhealthy. To my mind, children need to find a balance between technology and outdoor activities. I think making a schedule is a really good idea, but first I believe that the people around the children have to make them understand that although technology is not bad, it can be dangerous for them to use it too much. Another solution would be enrolling them in sports activities, like swimming or tennis, so they can have fun and meet new friends while doing a bit of exercise. As a conclusion, I would say that children need to experience a healthy childhood to grow up into a balanced person, and though the present is really different now than the past, kids don’t have to suffer because of that. MARÍA BARRIENTOS Senior 5
YearBook
63
CIRCUSES Circuses have always been controversial. While their supporters think they are a necessary or at least useful for the education of children, there are people who consider the treatment of animals inhuman and a cruel way to earn money. Let us compare the arguments from both sides. On the one hand, animals are deprived of their liberty, condemned to live in cages their entire lives. To train these animals how to do a trick, it is necessary to make them submissive and uncomplaining, characteristics that no wild animal have. For this purpose a technique called “break down” is needed, where animals are hit and punished with violence from the very early stages of their lives to break their will and instinct so that they obey their trainer’s orders.
On the other hand circuses are an enjoyable experience for children who usually love to see real wild animals up close. It is not just entertaining and fun to visit the circus, but it is also considered part of our culture. So, all in all, I honestly believe that we sacrifice the liberty and life of many animals for the entertainment of children and only for a few hours. In my opinion, this practice is very similar to the gladiators in ancient Rome, which would now be considered macabre and savage; a very accurate definition of my view of circuses. ALBERTO MORENO Senior 6
We are - Essayists
SANTIAGO ZAMANILLO Senior 8
CAN YOU READ THESE JUNIOR 5 STUDENTS’ NAMES IN PHONETIC SCRIPT?
MY FAVOURITE SUBJECT Don’t you like French? Isn’t it a beautiful language? In my view I think that it is, and I think that is why it is my favourite subject at school.
YearBook
One reason why I love it is because of my teacher. She is from France and she’s very interesting too. I guess French people are cheerful and interesting as her. But that is not all, she also encourages us to speak better if we don’t say a word correctly and we are about to give up.
We are - Essayists
64
Apart from that I think that French is a very useful language because many people and countries use it around the world. To my mind it would be awesome to speak French perfectly. Can you imagine watching your favourite films in French and understanding it all? Or just singing beautiful songs in French and saying the lyrics correctly. That would be so amazing. In conclusion, I think it is a beautiful language to learn if you want to travel to cool and interesting places such as Paris, Quebec and Belgium. Personally, I believe that it’s worth the effort to learn and speak the unique language of French. KAREN CAMACHO Junior 5 Phonetic name quiz answers: 1. Ana (Manzanero) | 2. Daniel (Fernández) | 3. Javier (Villoria) | 4. Lucía (Blanco) | 5. Natalia (Estebaranz)
CROWDFUNDING: MAKE YOUR IDEAS BECOME A REALITY Have you ever run out of battery on your phone while you were outside? Wouldn´t it be great if we could change our phones anywhere? Very often we have ideas such as these that we don’t know how to make a reality. The solution to this problem is very simple: Crowdfunding.
Crowdfunding could make you successful; you could help make people´s lives easier too. This is an excellent resource as it is a free website where your ideas can become a reality. NATALIA MELONES Senior 6
I realised how much I love history some years ago. I had just started secondary school, and I was a mediocre student those days. I was completely uninterested in my studies. But then, thanks to a piece of work that my history teacher had us do, I started to realise how much fun I was having, investigating those past ages. Over the years my love of history has grown even more. The more I know, the more I want to know! Although history could look like quite a boring subject, I find it extremely interesting. Research about what the world was like centuries ago; amazing characters that seem to be more from fiction than from the real world! But the main reason I like history is that it´s incredibly useful to understand our world; not only the states, borders and so on, but also human behaviour, our traditions, customs and finally human beings. For me, history has become not only my hobby, but a huge passion and the subject I wish to work in in the future ALBERTO PEÑARRUBIA Senior 7
65 We are - Essayists
In order to use crowdfunding successfully, you should first understand your objective and be able to explain it in a simple way. Secondly, you should explain what the money is for and ask for the amount you need. Finally, make your ideas clear so they spend less time wondering.
When I’m asked about my passions, I usually consider a lot what to talk about. I’ve got lots of hobbies, such as cinema or reading books, but if I must choose only one, I would definitely choose history.
YearBook
Crowdfunding is an easy way to raise money and support for a project with help from the people around you. It works by you creating a page on its website, explaining your idea. Then, backers can enter your page and take a look at your project, and if they like it, they can pledge money. Then if your project is successful, they get a reward in exchange for their support.
HISTORY IS MY PASSION
I want to do the project with you.
i think i need to make an excuse.
this exercise is very easy.
By:
YearBook
Marina apezteguía y elías pérez junior 2 (esclavas)
Photostories
66
It was a typical day in the british council class. The teacher was helping sofía and miguel was making funny faces. John was talking to his friends, ryan and neville, who are talkative and funny, and amy was workinG hard alone.
i don’t want to do it with her.
my friends are going to laugh.
this boy is too lazy. the project is going to be a disaster.
we are going to havE a brilliant mark.
She isn’t that bad.
he is very nice.
er!! me eith
er hn and amy togeth the teacher put jo ree. Amy ag n’t did ey th d in the project an sites. John is very and john are oppo nfident and amy is co d talkative, lazy an . , solitary and quiet very hardworking
the teacher told them the things that they have in common, so they agreed that he was right. they have a lot of imagination and they are very creative and artistic.
you are right.
very well john and amy worked t. They jec pro the together on information in of lot a for ed rch sea y used ideas encyclopaedias and the class. in d rne lea had y that the
e!!! it’s tru
JOHN AND AMY GAVE IN THE PROJECT TO AND THEY FELT VERY HAPPY WITH THEIR WORK.
I HOPE THAT THE TEACHER LIKES THE PROJECT
HERE YOU ARE; THE PROJECT.
YearBook
67 Photostories
THE TEACHER CORRECTED JOHN’S AND AMY’S WORK AND GAVE IT A BRILLIANT MARK.
In the end john and amy were proud of their work and became friends.
good work!! od!! very go
Bravo!!
YearBook
ANIMAL POEMS
JOSÉ M ERCA Septemb DER er Skills
We are - Animal Lovers
68
CLAUD
IA SUM MER Junior 1
UNAI AZPEITIA Junior 1
CELIA MARTÍNEZ Junior 1
YearBook
69
SARA SÁNCHEZ, MA
RÍA LÓPEZ and MÓNIC
ÍAZ ANDRÉS D ills Sk r e b m Septe
We are - Animal Lovers
A AZCOITIA Junior 1
RREZ O GUTIÉ GONZAL tember Skills Sep
YearBook
We are - Animal Lovers
70
KOALAS
THE ALLIGATOR
MONKEY
The koala looks like A little bear, They have round ears, And they don’t have a tail.
He creeps in the shore He swims in the lake What is it? It’s an alligator.
It’s not a tiger, It’s not a pig, But it isn’t big.
They live in Australia, And they eat eucalyptus, They have four legs with, Five toes on each one.
It’s a dangerous carnivore A distant cousin of dinosaurs What is it? It’s an alligator.
They have soft grey fur, On their backs, and white On the stomach.
He is 3 metres long He lives in South America What is it? It’s an alligator.
AITANA BARCIA Junior 1
It’s brown, It’s not a bear, Not a kangaroo. My favourite animal, Lives in the savannah And loves bananas. SERGIO DE LOS RÍOS Junior 1
BARBARA GARCÍA and RAQUEL ARROY Junior 1
JUNIOR 1’S ANIMAL PROBLEMS
My name is Chip and I’m a goldfish. I’ve lived with my owner Luc for three years. When I arrived I was only a baby fish. The first year I was very happy. The second year Luc’s sister Lilly was born. She’s a monster! Last week she put me in the toilet! It was terrible! Please help me! INÉS DE FUENTES Junior 1
MIGUEL THE PARROT I’m Miguel the parrot. I’ve lived with Jose my owner for five months now. At first, I was happy. Jose gave me lettuce and cucumbers. But then, Jose got a cat. I’ve had a horrible time since then. The cat often sits on my cage and puts its claws into it. Jose thinks this is very funny.
Yesterday, he put me on the kitchen floor and the cat ran after me. I was very scared. Jose just laughed. Please help me! MIGUEL TRIMIÑO Junior 1
YearBook
THOR THE TURTLE I’m Thor the turtle. I’ve lived with Ignacio for seven years. At first I was happy. Ignacio gave me carrots and lettuce.
COT THE HAMSTER I’m Cot the hamster. I´ve lived with Laura my owner for five years now. At first I was happy. Laura gave me bread and lettuce. But then she forgot me. She doesn´t play with me and I´m in my cage every day. I´m bored and tired. I don´t eat much food. Then Laura´s mother sold me and I went to another house, but I´m still unhappy with my life. SANDRA CASQUIERO Junior 1
71
Please help me! IGNACIO SECO Junior 1
LOLA THE DOG
OLIVER THE FISH
I’m Lola the dog. I’ve lived with Veronica my owner for five years now. At first I was really happy and interested to know about my owner. Veronica always gave me my favourite food. She always took me out to my favourite places, but now she has a guinea pig and she doesn’t give me food – only the things that she doesn´t want from breakfast and dinner. Also she doesn´t take me out; she only says “go Lola go!” and I have to go outside on my own in the garden.
My name is Oliver. I’m a fish and I live with my owner Amber. The first days I was really well, but she bought another pet, a cat, and in a moment, Amber forgot me.
ALEXANDRA Junior 1
My water is very dirty. She only cleans it when her dad comes here! I eat only one time a day! One day she put the cat on me! I´ve lived with Amber for two years. I´m frightened – help me! JUAN NAVARRO Junior 1
We are - Animal Lovers
But then Ignacio got a dog. I’ve had a horrible time since then. The dog often sits on my shell and he scratched my shell with its claws. Ignacio
thinks this is very funny. One day he pushed me from the window. Ignacio just laughed.
We are - Animal Lovers
72 YearBook
MIGUEL ARCEDIANO Yellow
I can draw kiss fish and pineapple fish. TERESA GRANDA Tigers
YearBook
My favourite fish are the heart fish and stripy fish.
73 We are - Animal Lovers
My favourite pet is a puppy. My favourite pet is a lizard.
MAURO
HUW EVANS
ER
YearBook
BEN NAZ
We are - Staff
74 DANIELA STR A
NSCAK
D
HAYLEY WOO
JAMES H
OLMES
JOANNA DAVIES
NEW TEACHERS QUIZ We are always happy to welcome new teachers to the British Council. They have rich and varied experience, and this year the newbies have shared some fascinating information about themselves with us.
1. Huw Evans. | 2. Joanna Davies. | 3. Ben Nazer. | 4. James Holmes. | 5. Hayley Louise Wood | 6. Daniela Stranscek. | 7. Richard Hall. | 8. Huw Evans. | 9. Hayley Louise Wood. | 10. Ben Nazer. | 11. Amy Kelly. | 12. James Holmes. | 13. Joanna Davies. | 14. Richard Hall. | 15. Daniela Stranscek. | 16. Amy Kelly.
ANSWERS
AMY KE
75 We are - Staff
RICHARD HALL
1. Which teacher is scared of Celine Dion? 2. Whose Grandfather was a beekeeper? 3. Who has a special talent for making quiches? 4. Who once went into Daniel Craig’s flat? (The actor who plays James Bond.) 5. Whose favourite food is fermented green tea salad from Myanmar? 6. Who is an expert ice skater but has never been on skis? 7. Who loves their cats Rumple and Hodge? 8. Who is terrified of going bald? 9. Who met the Prime Minister of England in 2010? 10. Whose number 1 mission in life is to be a good husband? 11. Who ate raw horse? 12. Which teacher has a side-line in designing and selling T-shirts? 13. Who creates amazing gingerbread houses every Christmas? 14. Who is a published poet? 15. Which teacher investigated the Mafia? 16. Who has a fear of needles?
YearBook
LLY
See if you can guess which teachers these interesting facts belong to:
YearBook
We are - Early Years
76 The Easter wall display, a collaborative installation by Early Years teachers and students
DINOSAUR FOOTPRINT In term 3 Storytime 1 have been learning colours and adjectives through playing with dinosaurs. After singing a dinosaur song and reading a dinosaur book we did a craft activity. The students said the colours of the paint they wanted, then dipped their dinosaur in the paint and then placed it on the paper to make footprints on the paper. They used different dinosaurs for different affects (ie 2 feet, 4 feet, big feet, small feet). MARIANNE REILLY and LOUISE DESMIER Story Time 1
FEELY MONSTERS
KAT CSUBA
YearBook
We created the feely monster with my Koalas after having learnt emotions, colours and parts of the body. As sensory stimuli helps them internalise the learnt language points, I chose different materials to create the monsters. They used felt, pom-poms, bottle cleaners and crazy eyes . They had to choose the colour, stick the pre-cut parts onto the paper and draw the mouth to show their emotion of choice.
77 We are - Early Years
PLASTICINE FACES In term 1 the students were learning parts of the body and colours. They listened to the teacher´s instructions for example I have got purple eyes, a red mouth. They followed the instructions to make funny faces using plasticine.
YearBook
MARIANNE’S KOALAS
We are - Early Years
78
EASTER SHEEP We made some sheep for Easter. Before doing the craft we learned the name of the animal and the sounds they make. YearBook
JANET’S KOALA
79
All the classes in Early Years (Story time 1, Story time 2, Koalas and Pandas) came together to make this Christmas scene. Each class contributed a different craft (i.e. stars, cards, candles) to make the living room scene. Special thanks go to Sara Martín, who helped to put all the work together in this beautiful display!
We are - Early Years
CHRISTMAS 2015 RICH TASK
Created by:
YearBook
Pablo Rodríguez and Javier Alzuaz
No!!! YOU
OH!!!
Photostories
80
you’re going to die!!! Little butterfly
Teacher! They’re fighting!!!
Saturnino was the swot of the class, and he had always hated Adriano and Horacio, because they were bad students and they always interrupted the class. He decided to tell the teacher about the fight.
It was a typical day in the brillant English class. Adriano, a cheerful and lazy student and Horacio, a talkative student, were fighting in class, because Adriano had written on Horacio’s homework.
Buff!! this is so boring
The bad tempered teacher Mr. Blood decided to punish them to stand alone in the corner. Adriano and Horacio were very angry with Saturnino because he had told the teacher.
When they were standing In the corner Adriano and Horacio started to talk and then became friends and they decided to make a revenge plan.
saturnino is an
idiot
They studied a lot and the plan worked. They had the best marks of the class and Saturnino was jealous… The perfect plan!!!!
past perfect: has + past participle
past verb to be: was, were...
we are
geniuses
81 Photostories
The revenge plan was to study a lot to have the best marks of the class and annoy Saturnino.
YearBook
YES. We should get him back!
oh, yes!!!
OH NO! Now I’m not the swot…
YearBook
We are - Foodies
82
I AM WHAT I EAT
JUNK FOOD
Today I didn’t eat anything special. For I usually have breakfast cereals with milk and a natural orange juice from my aunt’s farm. For lunch, a dish of vegetables or meat, always with some salad. For dinner something light, like soup.
Recent studies have shown that junk food is bad for our health. The most common question is.. Should children be allowed to bring fast-food to school? Is it really a big problem? The most evident advantage of fast food is that it saves time. In today’s fastpaced life, there is nothing better than getting a ready meal.
My favourite restaurants are Ginos and Vips. Ginos makes Italian food and I love Italian food. Vips makes a lot of types of food: hamburgers, salad, meat, fish etc. We only go to these restaurants on special occasions. I don’t like Burger King or McDonalds because the food is too unhealthy. In my family my mother cooks and she usually cooks vegetables because she loves it. But on rare occasions my father cooks to try a new dish like rabbit and potatoes. I like vegetables and meat but I don’t like some fish like cod. My favourite foods are rice and pasta. I like the pizzas that my mother cooks, they are delicious. My last sentence is a sentence that says something very important. I love eating. DANIEL VALOR Junior 3
On one hand, junk food is very cheap to get and carry, for instance, those chocolate bars that you can find in every child’s schoolbag. Every little food-shop sells it. Besides, sugar restores you and gives you quick energy to stay awake for a few hours and continue attending class. Nowadays, almost eighty per cent of people like to eat these little chocolate bars because they are really tasty! Some of those little sweet bars have a message written on the back sometimes, advising you not to eat a lot of sugar because it can affect your brain. On the other hand, junk food is really unhealthy. Cholesterol can cause different issues, such as obesity. The sugar is caught in the veins and arteries and it can make you die from a heart attack. Furthermore, fat makes you overweight. It takes an extra 3,500 calories in your diet to gain 1 pound of body weight. For example, consuming 500 calories from junk food each day can lead to 1 pound of weight gain in just a week. Also, at the same time it makes you lazier because, after having eaten a chocolate you can feel full. Another disadvantage is that a diet rich in sugar increases your chances of losing your teeth. Eating junk food with high sugar content, such as soda, candy and baked goods, coats your mouth, gums, tongue and teeth with sugar. This sugar coating attacks the enamel and leads to tooth decay and cavities. In conclusion, my opinion is that junk food should be forbidden, although it seems to be quite a difficult task LUCÍA BIELSA Senior 6
MARTINA INIESTA Pink
YearBook
83
Nowadays we live fast. We are always running everywhere. We are really busy, we work, we have friends, we do homework, we study and we have an interesting social life.
easy and not very expensive. Young people like this type of food very much, but they are consuming a lot of calories and they can become overweight.
We don’t have enough time for ourselves and finally we have bad eating habits because it is faster to cook a hamburger than to cook a good stew. It is faster to eat a big salad.
On the other hand, we have more information about what’s better to eat or what’s worse to eat. For example there are advertising campaigns about eating five pieces of fruit and vegetables, eating fish and low calorie food.
A lot of times we need to eat out and fast food is cheaper or we often go out with friends and we eat too much and we drink bad things. There are also all kinds of food in the supermarkets. Fifty years ago in Spain it was difficult to find this type of food, but now it’s
In conclusion, eating habits are really important for our health. It’s up to us to decide to have bad or healthy eating habits. MENCÍA PÉREZ Junior 3
We are - Foodies
EATING HABITS
-
A DIET WITH A SPECIAL SISTER
YearBook
In this text, I’m going to talk about my diet. Why is my sister special? My sister is special because she’s a celiac. She has high cholesterol and she can´t have a lot of lactose and sugar.
We are - Foodies
84
For breakfast I usually have a glass of goat’s milk or goat’s yogurt (goat’s milk has less lactose than cow’s milk and for my sister it is better) with a piece of fruit, depending on what’s in season, and a few biscuits without gluten or toast, without gluten, and jam.
ANA MAURENZA FERNÁNDEZ Pinks Paraíso
Sometimes I have a little snack with a piece of fruit in the morning, at 11 o’clock more or less. I have lunch at school and I have normal food, usually some meat or fish with some garnish and for dessert I like cheese and a yogurt or a piece of fruit. And at home, for dinner, I usually have a little salad, some meat or fish with garnish similar to lunch, and for dessert a little goat’s cheese and a goat’s yogurt or a piece of fruit. IRENE SIMIER Junior 3
MANUELA’S DREAM HOUSE My dream house is made of sweets, chocolate and biscuits. On the sides are candy canes, the door is made of chocolate, the windows are made of sweets and the bricks on the roof are made of biscuits. Behind the house there is a lake made of chocolate. MANUELA DELGADO Yellows
IN CLASS Matthew was staring at the blackboard without paying much attention, and became part of the general background. Folding his arms with that typical insulting look in his eyes, he ignored everything that could be related to those ordinary people who surrounded him.
LUCÍA GIL Junior 2
UNDER HER UMBRELLA There was a young girl from Spain She thought it was going to rain She got an umbrella To make a paella And she started to cry and complain. ADRIÁN RODRÍGUEZ Junior 2 (Esclavas)
Julia knew what Matthew thought of her, she felt the pressure of his powerful mind but she decided not to feel inferior because she knew that was what he wanted. She said “nostalgia is not something to be proud of, but proof of weakness; because you let your feelings change reality.” Then Matthew realised that he wasn’t as tough as he thought he was. He couldn’t say anything. Mr Newton started to admire another student with the same secrecy. BLANCA SANTIAGO Senior 7
85 We are - Writers
“The passing of time reminds me of my constant state of nostalgia,” said Matthew, trying to be interesting as always.
YearBook
Mr Newton knew this perfectly well; maybe that was the reason for his hidden admiration for this mysterious and unpredictable guy. He was talking about the passing of time when suddenly a question from Julia awoke Mathew, who had been lost in thought. They started arguing, and the disagreement between them became as big as the clash of their opposite personalities.
YearBook
Circus life Rock and Roll starts! with Face2Face Theatre group
Cultural Week
86
Huw Evans and Marianne Reilly with the Junior 2’s at Huw’s session on Welsh Myths an Legends session.
Red and Yellows students enjoying Circus Life by the Face2Face theatre group.
A RECORD BREAKING WEEK!
In total there were 43 different activities, attended by 51 classes, 50 parents, 815 students, and involving over 50 teachers. We are very grateful to all those who participated for making this year’s celebration of culture so memorable for our students, and we look forward to next year!
Students try to name items of British cuisine at Hannah Norwood’s session.
JOHN LIDDY, SONIA CONTRERAS, CRISTINA SÁNCHEZ and GABRIELA SÁEZ
87 Cultural Week
This year’s programme included music, poetry, stone painting, story-telling, Shakespeare-related performance, myths and legends, culinary, film, sports, puppets and writing sessions, delivered by various teachers and invited speakers.
YearBook
During the week of February 2227, students and teachers from British Council Madrid Young Learners (Spain) participated in a wide variety of activities within the framework of an annual ‘Cultural Week’.
MEMORIES
YearBook
John was staring at this grey, yellow and blue rug, one of the most important parts of John’s life. It had been his mother’s and it was a comfortable memory of her. But today John looked at this rug and suddenly he had a shiver and immediately experienced a strange feeling. ··· He was confused but he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He was just thinking about what had happened. But it was a strange feeling inside John’s body; it was a mix of anger and sadness. He had fixed his gaze on her body; she had been lying on the floor, her face covered in tears. And near the body was he: the horrible man who had destroyed the most important part of John’s life: his mother.
We are - Writers
88
JAVIER ALZUAZ Junior 2
A TONGUE TWISTER The witch watched her swatch watch so, was the swatch watch watched by the witch? ALFONSO TERCERO Senior 7
John was shocked but on the other hand he felt at peace because his mother would never suffer again. And suddenly all the images where this horrible monster hitting, shouting and humiliating her came to his mind, and as if he wasn’t the owner of his body, he hit out at his father. Until he remembered that his mother had always repeated to him that violence did not lead anywhere. So he had stopped hitting him and started to cry next to his mother’s body, so lonely. ··· When John was able to put away this horrible memory he tried to hold the coffee cup in his hands, and he looked away from his house, feeling better now because of the views from one of the windows in the room. He could see part of the blue sky. “It´s strange to see the sky like that, but it is comforting,” John thinks.
I WAS THERE
“Hi!” “Oh, I am glad to see you! I couldn’t remember the number of your door and I have rung so many people’s houses.” She admits to this with a beautiful smile on her face.
“Just one moment; I am going to the toilet,” she says with a little smile on her face. Now John is alone in his living room and he thinks about what they have been talking about. ··· He had been looking at one of his paintings when he noticed that someone was looking at him. And she, only she, approached him and started talking, but he couldn’t pay attention to what she was saying because she was one of the most attractive women he had ever seen. ··· John listens for the bathroom door and he sees her, and then he realises that he really loves her. ÁUREA REVILLA Senior 7 Writing Circle
We were lying on our beds; it was just a regular Sunday, or so we thought at the time. There was nothing to do so early in the morning; neither work nor leisure could get us out of bed. Hawaii was so exotic, so beautiful, and so different to everything I had known. The sunsets at the the beach made it worth every mile I had to travel to get there. Being a nurse for the army had been my ticket to get away, to burn the bridges with my old fashioned little town and start from scratch and find a world that was waiting just beyond the barriers of the unknown. We were woken up by some planes flying over our heads. We thought how unusual it was for the Navy to have flying instruction on a Sunday. We tied to go back to sleep, upset by the noise on our day of rest. But then it happened. Something that slipped out of our imagination. Out of the blue, the tremendous sound of a bomb hitting a ship. We ran out and looked, and couldn’t believe our eyes: it was the U.S Arizona up in flames. Then, instinct took over and the girls and I changed our clothes as fast as we could. After what we had just witnessed, we knew our help would be needed. For all we knew, that torpedo could just be the first one. If only it had been the only one. As we reached the hospital, it was already overflowing with the injured from the first wave of attacks. What had always been a big enough hospital here in Pearl Harbour had promptly become overcrowded; overwhelmed: from Paradise to Hell in seconds. I wasn´t there, but that´s the essence of literature. This is pure fiction. Writing takes us to a different place when we have to stay where we are, giving us the opportunity to feels our character´s feelings, and through our lines, to travel. Through your imagination it is possible to live more than just a single life. LUCÍA GONZÁLEZ Senior 10
89 We are - Writers
John realises that Sophia is exhausted just because of her red skin tone. They are talking together, sitting on John’s sofa, talking about their respective problems while they are having a coffee. Then, they start to talk about how they met.
December 7th, 1942.
YearBook
Inside his head the horrible memory is disappearing, and now John is absorbed by the view of Amsterdam, that incredible city which John loves and has chosen to live in. And finally he is peaceful, quiet and he feels okay. Suddenly a loud noise startles John; he looks at his watch and he realises that Sophia is on the other side of the door.
THE FOX AND THE CROW
YearBook
One sunny normal day in the depth of a forest, standing on a branch of a high tree was a crow with a huge piece of cheese in his beak. It had stolen it from a shepherd when he was distracted.
We are - Writers
90
Suddenly a fox appeared, attracted by the smell of the huge piece of cheese. He looked up, saw the crow and realised that the branch was too high for him to reach it, so he started thinking about how to get the cheese without climbing. Suddenly a great idea came into his smart mind and he started to talk to the crow. “Good morning, friend!” -said the fox-. “You look handsome today. I think you are the most beautiful animal I have ever seen, and look at your claws! They look so shiny, like your beak. But the most awesome thing is your voice. I heard you before, singing a song. Can you sing another song with your beautiful voice?” “Okay. What song do you want me to sing you?” replied the crow. But to his surprise the fox started running away with the cheese in his jaws! The stupid crow had let it fall when he opened his beak, flattered by the words of the smart fox. That day the crow learned an important lesson: you must never trust people who always praise you. They may have bad intentions. INÉS SARABIA Junior 4
FRIEND OR FOE? I had just finished a long day of work at the Vet-Clinic. It wasn’t really busy but I had this important operation to do on a German Shepherd which took longer than expected. But finally I was heading home. By my side was Bonnie Griffin, my assistant and best-mate at work. - “See you tomorrow Anny! Take care”. - “Bye, same to you!” She was really nice; she was the kind of girl who always has a smile on her face. She was unable to stay quiet or still. That sometimes drove me crazy, especially when I was tired. I was going to take the bus, but it wasn’t due for eighteen minutes, so I decided to walk although it was going to take me twenty-five minutes. That way, I could also enjoy my beautiful city. Madrid is a bright town even at night. But lately, the pollution makes the city darker and uglier. The splendid sound of some cars, the wind blowing and people’s laughter filled the contaminated air. I unlocked my phone to answer my boyfriend James who had texted me: J: Are you getting home later than 11pm? J: It’s to see if I can stop by for a while or just see each other tomorrow. Oh, right…I was going to hang out with the girls. I wanted to see them, because the last time we saw each other had been ages ago. But I wasn’t really excited about it, and I was already only five minutes away from my house. “First I’ll text Caroline just so that they know I’m not coming and later I’ll answer James. I don’t think they’ll get mad,” I said to myself. Well they did, but for other reasons. And I also forgot to text my boyfriend back because suddenly a man shouted at me: “Blondie! Come here I can buy you a drink!” and after that men’s laughter. I hate that kind of attitude in men. It‘s gross. I don’t know why they have to behave like that. They are not more masculine for saying vulgarities to girls. And, I am not blond, I am red haired. When I got to my building I opened the front door, and locked it once I was inside. I left the coat and bags and went directly to shower.
While taking off my makeup I stopped to stare at myself in the mirror. My eyes were green, light but intense green. My rounded face was filled with tiny freckles. These were the same colour as my hair. It was maybe two centimeters above my shoulders, and right at that moment was perfectly straightened. Normally it’s extremely curly. My skin was as pale as snow. YearBook
I got in the shower with slow music on. Once I finished I put on my underwear and the pajama T-Shirt. I heard a noise and turned off the music and the lights. Somebody was entering. “Come, this way.” “Bring the bags in.” “We must be ready before she comes,” whispered a few girls’ and some men’s voices.
I sprayed his eyes and burnt his face. Running down the stairs I followed the same order with a woman I think. I opened the front door and went downstairs. Another one caught me: “Anny! It’s us!” “James? What are you doing here? Were you robbing me?” “What? No. We were preparing you a surprise party for our 1st anniversary!” “Are you kidding me?” “Of course not! Joey and Mary came to help me out; I don’t know what you did to Them - they are screaming!” “I…might have sprayed and burnt them,” I answered pointing at the spray that had dropped downstairs and at the hair straightener. “Oh my…call an ambulance!” MERCEDES ROMERO Senior 7 (Writing Circle)
A TONGUE TWISTER
BLANCA ZARZALEJOS Senior 10
We are - Writers
I was getting robbed! I took the hair straightener, turned it on, and picked up the lavender smell spray with the other hand. Someone was coming up the stairs. Slowly I opened the bathroom door waited until the man was close enough and among the shadows, then I jumped on him.
91
YearBook
A Haiku by CARMEN ZORILLA Pinks (Paraíso)
We are - Writers
92
WHERE THE PUPPETS SLEEP She hammered her long fangs into the porcelain neck of her victim. The only witnesses were the thousands of puppets that were silently sleeping on the shelves. She looked up and stared at the stars. “They look like a river”, she thought while wiping the streams of scarlet blood that slid down her cheeks. I rushed inside the office just as my boss was closing the door. He gave me an angry look and snapped at me to come in. I apologized profusely, although I knew full well that arriving late hadn’t really bothered him. I have to accept that, once upon a time, our relationship was more than merely professional. However, what once was on fire, now is just ashes. Despite that, Nic and I remained very good friends.
“I’ve got something new for you,” said Nicolás leaving a huge pile of papers on my desk. “Don’t you think I have enough? I mean, look at my desk!” I moaned and I was right. The whole office was overflowing with documents and files. Too much work. However, I would never have complained if I had known what was about to happen. “Okay then,” answered Nic in a more conciliatory tone. “Read this; let’s see if there is something you can do.” He took the tower of papers from my desk and gave me a thin, black folder. In essence, the case didn’t seem to be a big deal: Two weeks before, a truck driver found a girl wandering along the motorway in the middle of the night. The man decided to take the girl to the hospital, where the doctors deduced that the girl probably had barely eaten for days.
In all this time the girl said nothing. “She is the youngest daughter of this family,” said Nic, coming closer to my desk and showing me a photo of the whole family. “The typical happy family,” I thought.
“Does she have more family?” I asked pointing to the little girl. Nic shook his head. “Well, so, give me the address of the hospital where the girl is. I’ll see if I can find out anything else.”
“Hi Clara!” I said using the kindest voice that I had. She was sitting in bed, watching television. In all honesty, I don’t think she was watching it; she was just staring at the screen with her round green eyes. She couldn’t have been more than nine. It was then I noticed she had a piece of paper in her hands. In fact, she was writing something. “What are you writing there?” I asked. She didn’t answer. After a few minutes, the girl got out of bed holding the paper in her tiny fingers. She gave it to me. It was an address. No time to lose, I thought. I left the room after promising the girl I would find her parents and bring them to her. However, I could never forget the way she looked at me. There was something in her eyes that warned me that I was about to make the worst decision of my life.
We took the stairs as there was no elevator, and we finally got to the house. The door was ajar. A shiver went down my spine. If I had obeyed my instinct, I would have run away right then. Instead, I took Nic’s hand and squeezed it. He squeezed mine back. We went into the house. The ceiling was all covered with wall paper with a starry night pattern. There were no walls, just mirrors, so the room looked huge. “We are not just any old Tom, Dick or Harry!!” said an elderly woman menacingly whose voice seemed to come from nowhere. “We travel among the mirrors and you think it’s a dream, but it’s not a dream, this is real.” Although the room was barely illuminated, I could see that the shelves were full of puppets, all different, like snowflakes. I repeated the women’s words in my head “We travel among the mirrors…” Just then I realized there was no reflection of her in the mirror. Before I could react, the woman pounced on us. Nicolás’ efforts to stop the woman were in vain, and my screams fell on deaf ears. The last thing I saw before everything turned into a deep black hole, were the stars from the wall paper, which now seemed to be completely real… just like vampires. MARÍA FERNÁNDEZ Senior 8 (Writing Circle)
93 We are - Writers
I took my car and started driving. The road was almost empty so I arrived there in about ten minutes. Of course, going into the girl’s room wasn’t that easy. After half an hour, I got the permission I needed to visit her.
We arrived at a creepy old building, hidden down a narrow street in the centre of town. YearBook
“Their disappearance was reported last week. They have just vanished, no clues, no evidence, and the only witness refuses to talk.”
I phoned Nic. I told him I was going to the address and he agreed it was the best thing we could do. “I’ll go with you,” he said. “After all, you don’t know what you are going to find there.” He was right, never would I have imagined what was about to happen.
SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOUR
YearBook
Miss Potter’s classes were extremely tedious. The only way for Tom to escape from this torture was to make fun of her stutter and he imitated her cruelly in every single class. Miss Potter was really forgiving and most of the time she ignored his irritating behavior. However, one day the joke went too far and the long-suffering teacher couldn’t stand it anymore: she suddenly turned into a different person. While she was yelling at him, her pure and porcelain face became scarlet and wrinkled, and her beautiful shiny hazel-eyes started to protrude like those of a frightened toad. Tom was petrified. He was shivering, and he knew that he would never dare to mock her again. His punishment was severe: Miss Potter decided to isolate him at the back of the room where he could barely hear her voice. His insignificant, ancient desk was mossy and covered with spider webs. However, beside him, there was a huge window out of which he could look and daydream.
We are - Writers
94 SOFÍA GARCÍA Junior 2
WHAT LOVE IS What is love? Confusing but necessary. It is the sound of that song that makes you happy, It is that look, that smile that speaks without words, It is everything and nothing. It is the time we share Every memory we keep and every cherished feeling It is all the words I don’t say But my heart shouts out loud. It is the rhythm our hearts speak to In a melody we know won’t last forever Reckless, daring, sweet… It is the magic that lights people up And its sparkle you can never forget What is love then? It is what I write when I think about you. INÉS VILLAMIEL Senior 7 (Writing Circle)
One day, while looking out of the window, he saw a suspicious man in the school playground dressed as a gangster. He was wearing a charcoal suit with white stripes, a sophisticated mafia hat, black patent-leather shoes and a red silk tie, just like in the “Godfather” movies. He was holding a black suitcase protected with a strong lock close to his chest. The curious classmate was anxious to know what was in that mysterious suitcase: Did he have a stash of money or a bloody part of a victim’s body? Above all, he was dying to find out why this strange man was sitting on a bench in the school playground: Was he waiting for someone in order to kill him? Was he just planning to plant a bomb at the school? Suddenly the man gave him a scary, long, cold stare. He had an intense
BERLIN TWIN
ANA AGUIRRE Senior 8 (Writing Circle)
ALEJANDRA SÁNCHEZ-TERÁN Junior 2
95
A wonderful summer but... Paz Sánchez, pictured here with her teacher Natalia Khan and Coordinator Alison Nunziante.
CHERRY PITS I had a wonderful summer with the exception of a friend’s choking accident. She came to Spain for a fortnight. She had flown all the way from England to Cádiz in Andalucía. One night, while having supper, we finished the main course and passed on to the dessert. We had cherries to finish off. We all started eating them and after us her. She wolfed them down leaving the pits inside her mouth. Out of the blue we realised what was happening and asked her why she kept all the pips in her mouth. When she tried to speak to us she spat all the pits out and they flew all around us. When I look back I can’t do anything but laugh. PAZ SÁNCHEZ September Portal Writing Challenge winner
We are - Writers
Without thinking twice, he opened the door of the class, despite knowing the consequences. He rushed as agilely as he could to the playground, where he was going to face the gangster. He was determined to stop him from killing someone else. But as he was getting closer to him, he discovered that the gangster looked exactly like the school security guard. Was his hypothesis a product of his imagination? Was he or wasn’t he a killer? Tom didn’t understand what was happening, neither did the security guard. The supposed gangster, on seeing his surprising reaction, explained why he was wearing the mafia suit. Carnival was taking place at the school next week, and he just wanted to show off his costume. But what about the blood drops? Were they real or fake? The school security guard wasn’t aware of the messy make up that had just stained his suitcase. Suddenly Tom felt embarrassed.
There was a cool girl from Spain Who wanted to travel by train To go to Berlin To see her young twin She had lost in Madrid in the rain.
YearBook
penetrating look, like a dangerous killer whose eyes reflect the atrocities committed in the past. Tom was feeling so intimidated and horrified that he could hardly breathe. His silly, puffy and red face was becoming flat, empty and lifeless. His reaction after Miss Potter’s irritation was nothing compared to what he was feeling now. It is almost inexplicable. The more he looked at the suspicious man, the closer he got. On the one hand, Tom wanted to stop this feeling, but on the other hand, he needed to find out more about him in order to stop his overwhelming curiosity. While staring at the man’s suitcase which was also drawing his attention, he saw blood dripping from it. Now Tom was a hundred percent sure that he was a killer, an assassin or even a murderer.
SUFFRAGETTE - A WORK IN PROGRESS 18th February 1916, London.
YearBook
Henrietta Snodding was walking down the street towards Mr Arthur’s department. Mr Arthur, a small, plump, balding man with whiskers that were greying in spite of his 34 years of age, was the man in charge of choosing workers for the munitions factory in Hayes Middlesex, a little town west of London. In the last few months, not enough men had applied, since most were now enlisted in the war, so the Government had started allowing female workers to take their places instead. That’s why Henrietta was walking to Mr Arthur’s that morning; to prove that she too could do a man’s job - that men and women were not at all different.
We are - Writers
96
LUIS PRIETO Junior 2
BLACK CAT, HORRIBLE HAT There was a young girl from Spain She dreamt she was pushing a train She saw a black cat With a horrible hat And her arms started to feel some pain. INÉS TROMP Junior 2 (Esclavas)
She had wanted to apply the moment the first group of women entered the factory, on the same day Patrick and father had left for the war. Mother had pleaded against it, concerned about how “unlady-like” it would seem. She had decided not to apply for her mother’s sake, thinking it was already hard enough for her to be separated from her beloved husband and son. However, a few months went by, and they had started running a bit low on money, since neither of them had a wellpaid job. She had tried working as a baker in a shop down the street, but with the high prices, people barely came to buy anything and she didn’t get paid more than two weekly shillings, so she had left. Everything was
A FAIRY TALE getting more and more expensive, so she had chosen to get a job at the munitions factory, and live with her mother’s on-going criticism.
“I assume,” said Mr Arthur, breaking the silence, “you are here to apply for a job at the factory, Miss?” Henrietta managed a weak nod in response.
Henrietta walked out, confused but relieved at the ease she had found getting the job. She had asked Mr Arthur whether he was going to ask her any questions or check her health certificate and without lifting his head from his paperwork, he answered, “You look healthy enough. With most of the young men at war, the factory is too much in need of workers to pass up anyone who wants the job, including a woman.” So she signed the paper and went back out to the street. She would show him, she thought; she would show them all that women were just as capable as men. Monday couldn’t arrive soon enough. NATALIA MAÑA Senior 10 (Writing Circle)
A few minutes later, she found the wolf and said, “This is my vendetta!” Then she cut off his head. In the end, RRH had a new carpet made from the wolf’s fur. GUILLERMO VILLA and IGNACIO BOTELLA Senior 4
A Haiku by JUAN JOSÉ LABRADOR Pinks (Paraíso)
97 We are - Writers
Mr Arthur stood up suddenly, startling Henrietta, and moved towards her. When he was right in front of her, he stopped; she was a head taller than him. “Please take off your coat and lift your arms, Miss.” She did so without hesitating. He took her arm, searching for the non-existent muscle, looked her up and down, and turned back to take his chair again. “Good enough. Please sign this paper; you shall present yourself at the factory at seven-thirty in the morning next Monday.”
Before she went into the forest to hunt the wolf, she had bought an axe, a lot of grenades and a knife. When she was walking into the forest, she saw Alvin and the chipmunks. Meanwhile, the wolf was in a crazy party with his imaginary friends. “Alvin,” she said. “Where is the wolf?” He answered, “I don´t know!” RRH said, “False!” and she broke his neck. After that she asked another squirrel some questions. “The wolf is with your mum ooh!” and RRH said, “False!” and broke his neck too. The last squirrel told her where the wolf was, and Red said, “Thanks!” then broke his neck!
YearBook
When she opened the door, Mr Arthur looked up at her with his small, beady eyes; Henrietta was suddenly very conscious about how she must look; a tall, skinny woman with a long, pretty face and ash brown hair pulled back in a tight bun, dressed in a long, burgundy dress half-covered by a thin dark green coat with a patch on the right elbow. Would he think she wasn’t fit for the job and send her back home to her mother?
Once upon a time, a Wolf ate the family of Little Red Riding Hood while she was training in the gym with John Cena. When she came back to her house, she saw her family dead. In this moment, she swore a vendetta and she changed her name to Red Rambo Hood, (RRH to her friends.)
THE WAR IS OVER
YearBook
Today is a great day my countrymen, for the war in Europe is over! Our troops have entered Berlin along with the Red Army, ending Hitler’s reign of terror.
ESTER REDONDO Senior 7
We are - Writers
98 A BOY’S DREAM Once upon a time, in a little town, there was a boy called Charles. He was friendly and kind and he had a dream. He wanted to be the best athlete in the world but he was afraid he would get the same answer from his parents as he did from his classmates. They were always saying in class that he couldn’t be an athlete because he was fat and short and too slow. He began to practise after school. Two years later he got his chance in a race in Rome. One of the runners broke his leg and Charles ran in his place and won. When the press asked him how, he said that when he was a child he had practised a lot. In the end Charles was famous, he got married and he lived happily ever after. RAQUEL GONZÁLEZ Junior 3
However, we cannot forget the millions of deaths that this war has been responsible for. I will always remember when German bombs fell on my neighbourhood here in London, and friends murdered in their air raid shelters. War is no longer limited to the battlefield with civilians being a new target. We all know someone who has died in this massacre, but we have to admire those who sacrificed their lives to grant us a Europe free of tyranny. With Hitler and Mussolini dead, our greatest foes have been defeated, but the tensions are not over yet. While we have liberated the countries we took back, our Soviet allies have decided to incorporate independent states such as Poland into the USSR. Experts have confirmed that this could lead to a conflict between democracies and the Soviet Union. We have recently discovered the atrocities carried out on the Jewish people by the Germans, with millions murdered or left traumatised. If we had been aware of the “Holocaust” as it is now called, Hitler’s government would have lost all their allies and the war would have been much shorter. Despite all the deaths, we have to be glad that the German ultimate weapon, the atomic bomb, a weapon that could have wiped out of existence entire cities, was never finished or fired during the war. It is also important to point out that the war in the Pacific Ocean is not over yet. The Japanese Empire has no allies and is defeated, but their code of honour keeps them from admitting their defeat and surrendering. The US government has announced radical measures to be taken if Japan is not willing to give up. From the UK we wish our American friends luck in their conflict and hope there will be peace in the world at last. Long live democracy and the King! VICTOR ARTO Senior 10
READING WITH OUR FINGERS At Colegio Paraiso Hannah Norwood’s Pink class were exploring multi-sensory spelling techniques. The students wrote with plasticine and pipecleaners. This activity helps students to work in a group and divide the tasks amongst them to achieve a common goal. But it also helps students remember spelling because they are physically making the letters and organising them. YearBook
After we had created the words it was time to read with our fingers! We closed our eyes and then tried to read words which other groups had written. What a lot of fun and everyone remembered how to spell the words!
99
OUT OF THE WOODS The tallest trees Are trembling with fear, In the deepest woods Where all is unclear. They are looking for her, Though she is so lost As she stands alone, Counting the cost. Approaching the light Her feet are wet The ocean looks bright. Are we out yet? INÉS VILLAMIEL Senior 7 (Writing Circle)
We are - Writers
LUIS GRACÍA GRANADOS Reds
THE TRIP Alex and Ben have been best friends since they were children. Alex is blue-eyed, blond and short. He likes animals a lot. Ben is taller. He has brown eyes and brown hair. He likes plants.
YearBook
They had decided to go on that trip because they had won a prize together on a TV programme. Both like nature, so they think it is a very good opportunity to see animals in real life.
We are - Writers
100
The trip to Cuba is by boat. When they arrive in the jungle, there is a problem, they lose their guide. Suddenly, they hear some voices. One is familiar to them, but the others aren’t. It is the guide who has been kidnapped by two cannibals. They run away without the guide and disappear into the jungle. Alex and Ben feel lonely, but they have each other. They think the cannibals are going to make a fire and eat the guide. They are also wondering how they are going to rescue him. They make a boat with palm tree trunks because they are strong and easy to cut. They have to tie the trunks very close together with rope that they had in their bags. They spent three hours doing it, but it was worth it because it was a very strong boat. They started to go down the river, trying to find the guide. It’s almost midnight and they have not seen anything yet. They are about to give up when, suddenly, they see a small light. It is a fire and the cannibals are around it. They are cooking the guide. Quickly, Alex and Ben try to rescue him, but first they have to kill the cannibals. Luckily, they had two knives in their bags and without making any noise, they kill the cannibals. Then, the guide tells them that he has a flare in his bag, just in case anything bad happened. They use it and a helicopter sees it. Then, it descends and rescues them. Alex and Ben thought that it wasn’t a trip. It was an amazing adventure. JAVIER ESTEBAN LARIO Senior 5 (Writing Circle)
IRENE CONTRERAS Senior 7
HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE LOVE? Love is when the world isn’t mine. Love is when the world is ours, When you shout it louder and it doesn’t matter! How do you describe love? Buying chocolate or buying flowers, Nothing matters If you give me your hours. How do you describe love? When you are a big dreamer And when you seem sweeter. When Valentine’s day comes And you are not one of the lucky ones. NATALIA FLORES Senior 7
YearBook
101
RUGBY Rugby is my passion. It’s a way of life. I have been playing rugby since I was 4 years old and it has made me a better person. I love every aspect of rugby. The sense of camaraderie, the joy of motivating fellow teammates, it’s this intense passion and love that I feel for the sport that motivates me to train hard in order to win championships. When I was 4 my brother took me to see a rugby match and this sparked a lifelong interest in rugby. My early years in rugby were not very pleasant for the simple reason that I did not understand the rules so I wasn’t very good at this sport. Gradually I learned to play better and better. I trained very hard to improve my skills. There then came a time
when I could not stop playing rugby. Unfortunately, I got injured, I had a very serious shoulder injury, I had to stop playing rugby for more than 6 months. I always thought of my return to the field and that, in addition to the support of my teammates, is what gave me the strength not to give up. The success arrives later, today I’m fifteen. I’ve recently been appointed captain of the under 16 national team. I’m also captain of my rugby club “Liceo Frances de Madrid” and in 2014, my team won the national championship. I am very proud to have chosen this sport as my hobby. GERMÁN GARCÍA DOMÍNGUEZ Senior 7
We are - Sports Lovers
JAVIER LOZANO Tigers
YearBook
LET’S DANCE
We are - Sports Lovers
102
I will never forget the day I went to my first dance class, I was 3 years old. On that day, my life changed radically because I finally found something for what I really feel passionate about. Since then, dance has become my passion and part of my life. I have tried different kinds of dance, such as classical ballet, bachata, modern dance and flamenco. Dancing is a form of expressing yourself, in an original and free way. When I dance, I feel great! Dancing helps you to liberate stress, to express your feelings and your mood, to connect with the public and with yourself. Each movement is like a musical note. When you want to disconnect from the world, in my opinion, dance is the best thing to do. Instead of running or playing football, I use dance to do sport. I think that, dance is one of the most complete exercises you can do because you use your whole body and all your muscles. Even though I love dancing, I have never expected to be a professional dancer, dancing is just something that I need to live. So, I don’t want it to become something obligatory, I just want dance to continue being my escape route. SOFÍA LIU Senior 6
GOLF My name’s Isabel and my favourite hobby is golf. I love it because it’s fun. I play golf once a week. I started when I was 5 years old. ISABEL TRONCOSO Red
P.E Hello. My name is Lucía and my favourite hobby is P.E. I love P.E. because it’s fun. I do P.E. 3 times a week. I started when I was 1 year old. LUCÍA MACHO Red
YearBook
103
I like swimming in the sea with sharks. JUAN TROYANO Pinks (Claret)
OUTDOOR POOLS I like swimming in outdoor pools. LUIS CORBELLA Pinks (Claret)
We are - Sports Lovers
LOGAN TIMON Tigers
YearBook
SHAKESPEARE LIVES 2016
We are - Sports Lovers
104
DAVID COZAR Red
JUDO My name’s Marina and my favourite hobby is judo. I love it because it’s fun. I do judo twice a week. I started judo when I was four years old. MARINA GÓMEZ Red
April 23 2016 was the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, arguably the world’s greatest ever playwright and poet. Also known as ‘The Bard’, he was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in the west of England in the 16th century, but spent much of his life in London, where he led a troupe of ‘players’ (actors) called The King’s Men. He wrote plays that were comedies, tragedies, and historical works – many of them world-famous, like Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Othello and King Lear – as well as some of the most beautiful sonnets (poems with a particular structure) written in English. He contributed thousands of words and phrases to the English language, and many of the phrases still in use today were coined by Shakespeare, such as ‘fool’s paradise’, ‘a foregone conclusion’, ‘sea change’, and ‘wild goose chase’. Do you know what these phrases mean? Ask your teacher! As one of the most significant cultural figures born in England, it is only fitting that we celebrate this anniversary, and so the British Council has created a year-long series of events to match the occasion. You can find details of global events on www.shakespearelives. org, or see our Spain website. Here in MYL, we’re taking our part seriously, to educate our learners in the language and culture of The Bard, but to try and have fun while we’re doing so. Apart from integrating materials about Shakespeare into our regular classes, we’ve had two special visitors so far in 2016. First, we had actor Jonathan D. Mellor visiting classes as part of our annual week of culture in February. Jonathan visited eight classes and met 120 of you, briefly taking on roles from
105
Dr. Luke Prodromou giving his session on Shakespeare’s unruly women
Our great thanks go to both Jonathan and Luke for their contributions – we’ve all learned something! Shakespeare Lives 2016 continues as a global British Council initiative throughout 2016: keep your eyes open for other activities and events coming throughout the year. MARTIN GOOSEY (Assistant Teaching Centre Manager for professional development)
Jonathan Mellor holds Junior 2 students, Álvaro Barreto, Carlos Martín, Moisés García and Luis Prieto in thrall with Shakespeare’s records session
Shakespeare lives
Then, in early March, we had another treat: a visit from famous teacher, trainer, and English expert Dr Luke Prodromou, who came all the way from Athens, Greece. To coincide with International Women’s Day (March 8), Luke gave a talk on ‘Shakespeare’s Unruly Women: Voice, Power, and Identity’, in which he encouraged 43 students from three higher level Senior classes to think about how The Bard challenged stereotypes of women in Elizabethan England. Sonia Contreras, our Resource Centre Coordinator, saw the session and felt that Luke’s talk was ‘very informative and apt, given the fact that we were celebrating Women’s Day… I liked it so much!’
YearBook
Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, before quizzing students on ‘Shakespeare’s Records’. His performances were, as always, a big hit with all ages: students from Junior 2 to Senior 10 said ‘it was very funny’, ‘I loved the activity… Jonathan is an incredible actor’, ‘I really enjoyed it’, and ‘I think that was the most amazing English class ever in my life!’
I like swimming. I go swimming twice a week. In the summer, I like swimming in the sea.
YearBook
ADRIANA VELASCO Pink (Claret)
We are - Sports Lovers
106
ATHLETIC CLUB During the week I do many different things, such as studying, playing football or just hanging out with friends. Although I enjoy all the things I do (except studying), there is something which is always in my mind as the week passes by, the Athletic de Bilbao football match. I’ve supported Athletic Club for as long as I’ve known about football, which is pretty weird as my family all support Real Madrid. There is only one family member who declares himself to be an Athletic Club fan, my uncle, my father’s brother. When I was only five years old he took me to Bilbao where Athletic’s stadium is. I’ll never forget the experience of going into the stadium, I had never seen anything which could come near it, thousands of people shouting and singing the official anthem. I was looking up and down the crowd when something caught my eye. My favourite player, the midfielder Etxeberría was signing autographs, although he had left when I arrived for an autograph, I wasn’t disappointed for long. I realized that the match had started and went back to my seat beside my uncle. So now every time I see an Athletic Club football match, it reminds me of the amazing time I had that afternoon. PABLO RUIZ Senior 7
DAVID LLOMA Tigers (Blanca de Castilla)
SCHOOL PORTAL Students The school has a web portal where you can see your reports online, collaborate with other students in your class on our social media wall (ask your teacher for your password) and access lots of extra materials to help you in your English studies. These include: z Network English z Network English Junior z The OE Suite of self-study materials z Activity wall (see above) z Learning tools z Learner diary z Online writing tools To log into the portal, go to this address: http://spainportal.britishcouncil.es Your username is your student number. New students receive their password by email to their parents’ email address; existing students can ask your teacher to change your password if you have forgotten it. Parents Log in using your email address as your username. If you have forgotten your password, you can reset it by entering your username, leaving the password field blank, selecting the centre and click on ‘I forgot my password’. Via the portal you can: z Book new courses z Arrange end of term meetings with the class teacher z Send emails to your child’s teacher z Download resources and forms z Access materials to help your child learn If you have any problems with the portal, contact madridyl.portal@britishcouncil.es STEVE EVANS Senior Teacher Learning Resources
BRITISH COUNCIL WEB SITES AND RESOURCES z Learn English http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org Lots of activities, games and language practice to help you in your English studies. z Learn English Kids http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org Activities, games and lots of fun for younger learners. z Learn English Teens http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org The web site for teenagers with lots interesting learning materials to help you practise your English. z British Council Premier Skills http://premierskillsenglish.britishcouncil.org