Yearbook 2015 18 compressed by British Council Madrid

YearBook NUMBER 14 MADRID YOUNG LEARNERS 2014/2015

NUMBER 14

MADRID YOUNG LEARNERS

Madrid – Young Learners Pº General Martínez Campos, 31 28010 Madrid T 91 337 35 93 F 91 337 36 00 madrid.younglearners@britishcouncil.es

www.britishcouncil.es

2014/2015 www.britishcouncil.es

Editor and Coordinator David Kavanagh

SCHOOL PORTAL The school has a web portal where you can see your reports online and access lots of extra

BRITISH COUNCIL WEB SITES AND RESOURCES Learn English

Assistant Editor

materials to help you in your English studies.

Simon Harwood

These include:

• Network English

Photographs

• Network English Junior

Roberto García, Sonia Contreras, Cristina Sánchez, Gabriela

• The OE Suite of self-study materials

Saez, Simon Harwood, David Kavanagh and offsite coordinators

Learn English Kids

• Activity wall

and teachers.

http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org

• Learning tools

Activities, games and lots of fun for younger

• Learner diary

learners.

Design

Lots of activities, games and language practice to help you in your English studies.

• Online writing tools

www.baetica.net Printing

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org

Learn English Teens To log into the portal, go this address:

http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org

http://spainportal.britishcouncil.es

The web site for teenagers with lots

Taller Imagen

interesting learning materials to help you Your username is your student number. New

Contacts

students receive their password by email to

david.kavanagh@britishcouncil.es

their parents’ email address; existing students

simon.harwoodyl@britishcouncil.es

can ask your teacher to change your password if you have forgotten it.

Acknowledgements

Parents log in using their email address as their

The editor would like to acknowledge the inestimable help this year of: Ángel Calvo for all the administrative support; Alfonso Jiménez for his unflustered and always timely technical support; Evelyn Ezra, David McEvoy, and John Liddy for finding time to painstakingly proof read; Sonia Contreras, Cristina Sánchez and Gabriela Saez for their valuable contributions from the resource centre; Jóse Llanos, Roberto Nobella and Javier Casas for logistical support; the talent, expertise and patience of Irene Moreno and Mónica Morante at Baetica ; Louise Desmier, Ross Smith, Steve Evans and Alan Finch for their always helpful replies to an infinitude of queries, and lastly and most importantly, the teachers who contributed with such pride and enthusiasm their students’ work.

username. If they have forgotten their password, they can reset it by entering their username, leaving the password field blank, selecting the centre and click on ‘I forgot my password’. Parents can book new courses and arrange meetings with the class teacher via the portal. If you have any problems with the portal, contact: madridyl.portal@britishcouncil.es.

practise your English.

YearBook

Contents 2

YearBook 2014/2015

That’s what I think!

Editorial

Reviews

Me, Myself, I

Teachers’ conference

Wanted!

What will be will be

What’s the Story?

Free time is on my side

In the restaurant

Around the world

Halloween

Bottle Tops for a New Life

All creatures great and small

Culture Week

A book that meant the world to me

100

Meet The New Teachers

Our planet, our home

103

Shopping

Poetry in motion

104

Folder competition winners

YearBook 2014/2015 As you probably know; Madrid Young Learners is part of a worldwide network of British Council offices. We teach English and organise examinations, but we do a lot more than that. The British Council was founded in 1934 with the mission of ‘promoting abroad a wider appreciation of British culture and civilisation [by] encouraging cultural, educational and other interchanges between the United Kingdom and elsewhere’. 80+ years later, our mission remains the same and it is as relevant now it was back in 1934. In Spain, we have offices and schools in Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid, Palma de Mallorca and Valencia. We teach English to adults and children in all those places. Madrid Young Learners is based in the city centre at Paseo General Martinez Campos, 31 and there are branches in Segovia, Somosaguas and Villaviciosa. We also give lessons in 9 colleges across Madrid. The big news this year has been the opening of our fantastic new Adults’ Centre right here at Martinez Campos. Please take a moment to have a look around the campus. Why not stop for a coffee in the new café? The Adults’ centre also has branches in Alcalá de Henares, Guadalajara, Las Rozas and Alcobendas. It’s a big family and a family of all ages.

Did you know we have students from 2 years old upwards? If you’d like to know more about that try our website: http://www.britishcouncil.es/ingles/cursos-ninos/general/ madrid/young-story-time. We are always looking to improve our service. Students and parents who have been with us before will notice that the website has been completely changed too. We hope it is easier to use. At the British Council we try to instil a wider appreciation of the world. We want to help make our students good citizens. As with last year, we have printed the YearBook on recycled paper in support of the British Council’s GREEN policies. The Madrid Young Learners YearBook is a celebration of the combined efforts of students and teachers throughout the last twelve months. I’d like to send a big Thank You to all contributors.

With best wishes, John Pare Teaching Centre Manager Madrid Young Learners

Editorial English continues to expand exponentially as a global language. It is estimated that non-native speakers now outnumber native speakers worldwide by as much as 3 to 1. The yearbook hopes to show readers the path taken by students here in Madrid Young Learnersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to become part of this historic global phenomenon, a window into the centre showing how our students become successful communicators in English and join a calculated 1.5 billion people who communicate in English as a first or second language. To do this we continue to showcase the great work done here throughout the year and highlight the variety of activities that teachers use, to stimulate their studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; imaginations, to challenge them to reflect, to discuss and to debate the issues they wrote about. It again, I hope, provides the reader with a view of the positive, encouraging, collaborative environments necessary for this work to flourish and gives an indication of what was achieved by students on the road to making English their own. All of the 21 levels taught here are included in this edition, and this year we are delighted to include for the first time work from students in the new early years programme.

With all of this plus photos and write ups of all the other activities that went on here over the last year, the Cultural week, the Halloween activities, the class parties and projects, the yearbook is a reminder of all the hard work and fun that was had here in the Academic year 2014/2015. Thanks to Simon Harwood 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 the next Yearbook will be welcome from the first day of the summer courses.

David Kavanagh Yearbook Editor and Coordinator

Me, Myself, I

Me, Myself, I A memory Irene Rodríguez Senior 10

I want to write about a very special moment for me, the first time that I had to sing in public. Although it’s one of my earliest memories, it’s a very vivid one. I find it quite bittersweet. Before I joined my school choir I couldn’t sing at all. So, at the early age of seven, when I had to sing in front of the whole choir, I was terrified. Nevertheless, the happiness I felt when I got in is something I can’t accurately describe with words. It’s a very precious memory for me, not only because of what I achieved but because it gave me a lot of confidence in myself at an age when I could barely speak with anyone due to my shyness.

Bruno Bruno Peña Tigers

This is me. I am wearing a purple jumper. I am wearing blue shoes. I am wearing green trousers. I am wearing a white t-shirt. I like playing football.

Alicia García Escudero. Pandas (Blanca de Castilla)

Clemente Clemente Sonseca Junior 1

I am Clemente. I love sports, but my favourite sport is football and for me the best football team is Atletico de Madrid. I live in Madrid and I was born in the same city. I like: spaghetti, soup, pizza… I love the octopus, it is my favourite animal, but I hate cockroaches. I would like to travel to Mexico because I love the food.

YearBook

A trip to China

Carlos

Ana Jiang Senior 3

Carlos Cabeza Senior 8

I went to China for two months when I was 13. It was one of my favourite holidays, it was really good. First I went with my dad and sister, we travelled for more than nine hours on a plane and I thought “this is horrible, I’m not going to enjoy this holiday….” But when we arrived it was different. I met my cousin, my grandmother and aunts. After three weeks my mother and other sisters came from Spain and then we were all together. We visited a very famous natural place near a small village and we met old friends of my parents, it was exciting. Then we stayed for a week in the village of my parents when they were children. We also saw their school. But the village wasn’t very populated because many people went to big cities to have better houses and better work, so in the village most people were old.

My name is Carlos and I am 15 years old. I consider myself a friendly, sociable and sometimes funny person.

The two months passed very quickly and we had to leave China, we were unhappy. But my parents said that we were going to go back soon. We really enjoyed our holiday.

Jimena Rodriquez. Tigers

My siblings annoy me quite easily, because I can’t stand them and they know it. Singing is one of my hobbies. I am able to sing all day long, even though I sing quite badly. Football is my other hobby and my favourite team is Real Madrid. My friends and I play football every day all the time. Hanging out with my friends is the way I spend my free time. As of late I have begun to like climbing and sailing. This year I am going to a sailing camp in Alicante for two weeks. My hair is long, curly and dark brown, like my eyes and my curly eyelashes.

Me, Myself, I

Casilda’s home Casilda Corcostegui Pinks

I live in a house. It’s got 4 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms. The living room is quite big, it’s got 2 sofas, a telephone and flowers. The kitchen is not very big and not very small. It has a fridge, an oven and two windows. My bedroom has a bed, two windows, a small balcony and two curtains.

Last week

Carmen

David García Reds

Carmen Pérez Junior 1

Last week from Monday to Friday I went to school and then I did some homework in class. Then I went to the playground and played with my friends, then I ate and drank and then I went home and did my homework for the next day. On Saturday I ate my breakfast and I played with my Nintendo and then I did a little homework to finish it. Then I ate my lunch and for lunch I had stew and for pudding a pear.

My name is Carmen. This summer I went to the beach in the south of Spain. I swam in the swimming pool, I made sandcastles, I played with my friends, I ate on the terrace and I went to the village to have dinner. But also I was with my family.

Me vs. my car, Eduardo Bautista, Reds, (Esclavas)

I go to school, I’ve got 10 different teachers and the food in school is horrible. I play with my friends who are: Carlota, Barbara, Sara… I’ve got a lot of friends.

YearBook

Friends forever Cristina Romero Junior 3 Inés Domínguez. Reds (Sagrados Corazones)

From only child to older sister Marina Aguilar Senior 10

Fourteen years ago, I completely changed due to the birth of my little brother Javier. Truly, it brings back bitter-sweet memories. With the arrival of a new child to the family the greatest difficulty for me was accepting that I should take the role of older sister and I would no more be the centre of the family scene. Initially, I felt I was expelled from my home to the point that I begged my parents to return my brother to the hospital. However, the most painful and difficult thing was that I had to learn to share my parents. I vaguely remember the details. Nevertheless, with the passage of time, my life changed into a process of adaptation, slow and ambivalent, with twists and turns of great love and helpless hatred. Finally in an unexpected moment, I realized I loved my brother. Now he is the person I love most in the world. What started as a dreadful experience has become the most significant human bond in my life.

My best friend is called Lucía Cabañas. She’s 12 years old. She is very thin and quite tall. She has straight blonde hair and brown eyes. She sometimes wears glasses to write or look at the blackboard. Lucía lives near the school. There are five in her family. Her parents Vicente and Begoña have three children, Lucía, Jorge and Icíar, who are 9 and 6 years old. Her parents work in a bank. My best friend loves playing football. Every day she plays this sport with her friends. She also has two extra hours a week in school to play football. Her favourite football team is Real Madrid. She always watches football matches. I think her favourite football player is James Rodríguez. Anyway she loves sports. She also likes painting pictures. Of course we are in the same class in school. She sits near me and we talk about funny things every day. On Monday and Thursday I play football with her. We also come to the British Council together. On Fridays I go to her house and we play games and we laugh together. We always have a good time together. She’s my best friend because she’s very funny and kind. When I have a problem she always helps me and I think we are honest friends.

Me, Myself, I

Guillermo Guillermo Rupérez Tigers

This is me. I am wearing blue trousers. I am wearing a red and blue t-shirt. I like playing table tennis.

Luca Padrón. Reds

Me vs. Elephants, Sara González Núñez. Reds, (Esclavas)

YearBook

Lía

Carmen Martín Junior 3

My best friend is called Lía. She’s from Galicia. I met her when I was four years old. I went to Ares, Galicia to spend the summer with my cousins. My cousin knew her at school and she introduced us. At the beginning we were not friends, but with the test of time I got to know her better and we became friends. She’s tall and thin. She has black and long hair and she wears glasses. But deep inside she is polite, funny and happy. Her hobbies are playing basketball and figure skating. She likes dancing and cooking as well. There are four in her family. Her father is called Juanjo. He likes boats and he has a sailing boat. He is very adventurous. Her mother is called Meli, Mil del Carmen. She likes riding her bike. And her sister is called Irene. She’s very nice and she’s a friend of my sister.

Lía’s Weekend: Saturday: she wakes up as late as possible. In the afternoon she meets her friends and they go to a shopping centre. At night she goes to bed very late. Sunday: she wakes up very late. She does her homework. Her family have lunch with her grandmother. At seven o’clock she goes to figure skating training. She thinks like me. When I’m sad, she always gets a smile out of me. She’s very funny and always supports me. I think that this friendship is different than other ones. We just meet up for a week at Christmas, one week in Holy Week and one month in summer, but the time that we spend together is the best time of our lives. We dance, we laugh, we sleep, we sail together. I just want it to be Christmas so I can go to see Lía.

Me, Myself, I

Teresa Candela Fernández Junior 3

My best friend’s name is Teresa. She’s tall, beautiful and strong. She has short brown hair and brown eyes. She’s very nice, intelligent and friendly and she doesn’t generally have patience but with me she does. She’s very loving, she’s 12 years old and she was born in Madrid. Every day she gets up at 8 o’ clock and she has biscuits and milk for breakfast. At half past eight she goes to school with me.

Luz’s home Luz Guerra Pinks

I live in a flat. It’s got 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The living room is big; it’s got a sofa, TV, a table and chairs. The kitchen is white. My bedroom is white and it’s got a bed.

She lives with her mother, father and sister in Madrid. Her sister is 16 years old and is a friend of my sister because they go to the same class. Her mother is a friend of mine too. Teresa plays basketball with me and she is a good player. She swims twice a week and she goes to music lessons. She likes playing volleyball. I met Teresa at school when I was 7 years old because we played basketball together. I like Teresa because when I’m sad she makes me laugh and she is very funny and a good friend.

My holiday Álvaro Rodríguez Junior 4 (Claret)

During my last holiday I went to Valencia, where I had a great time. I stayed in an apartment near the beach. Every day I went there to play with my friends in the sea and on the sand. Some mornings I ran along the beach and others I swam in my swimming pool. I ate a lot of delicious food like paella, sardines, fruit and ice cream. Every afternoon I played football with my friends. My favourite day was when I visited a beautiful bay to snorkel and see colourful fish, climb rocks and jump down from the rocks into the sea. It was very scary. I really loved the holiday and I would like to go there again soon.

YearBook

Silvia Yáñez. Junior 3

Luis Prieto. Junior 1

My father Laura Rodrigo Junior 3

My father is an art teacher. He likes it because when he was young he liked drawing and painting objects like tools or buildings. On a typical day he starts at 8.30 a.m. and he finishes at 3.30 p.m. In that time he is teaching his students old (12 to 15 years old). At 11.00 a.m. he has a break time of half an hour. He talks with his colleagues about their work or something else and he drinks coffee. He works in a high school in Coslada. He likes going to work by metro or bus. When it’s raining he goes by bus, but when it’s sunny and hot he goes by metro. He doesn’t like going by car because he thinks that cars pollute a lot.

Me, Myself, I

My name is Jorge Jorge Librero Senior 8

My name is Jorge. As a seventeen year old boy, most of my features are very common, so you would think I am exactly the same as any boy of my age, that’s why, although being very average physically speaking, I try to be different on the inside. My height is average, my hair and eyes are brown and my complexion is also average. There’s not much to say about my features and, as I told you, I try to think in other ways in order to differentiate myself from the others. Psychologically I’m more complex, as many of my main characteristics contradict each other in every way. For example I’m a pretty shy guy but open up easily when I get to know people. Also I used to judge people without even knowing them, but now I try to give everyone a chance. I’m describing my personality. I could go on endlessly but that would take ages, so that’s what I think I am. These are the highlights, so if you want to meet me, do it at your own risk.

My family. Laura García. Tigers

YearBook

Wanted! Natalia Khan’s. Pinks

Match the baddie with the description.

Name: Cat Thief Description: He has brown, curly hair. He has a black moustache and he has blue eyes. Reward: 6000000.000000€

Sandra Macho. Pinks

Name: Cat Thief Description: He has got brown eyes. He’s got brown hair. He has got short hair. He hasn’t got a beard. Reward: 100,000€

Candela Rubio. Pinks

Name: Cat Thief Description: He has a moustache, and brown hair. He has blue eyes and he’s got a beard. Reward: 100,000€

Carla Montenegro. Pinks

Name: Dog Thief Description: He has Brown hair. He has glasses and a moustache. Reward: 100,000€

Victoria Herrero. Pinks

Name: Cat Thief Description: He’s got short Brown hair. He’s got a moustache. He doesn’t have a beard and he’s got brown eyes. Reward: Blanca Rubio. Pinks

13 13

14 14

What’s the Story?

What’s the Story? Meeting Vicente del Bosque Mencía López Junior 2

I have met Vicente del Bosque. I met him when I was in the street. I was playing with my sister when we saw Vicente del Bosque’s car. It was a Mercedes. First my sister took a photo of me next to the car, then I said to my mother: “Look Mum there is his car!” Mum said that he was in the restaurant. Then… we waited for him; but his wife was outside the restaurant and said that we could go to his table and take a photo with him. That day was fantastic. It was really cool!

Breaking my arm Alberto Calero Junior 2

I broke my arm in 2006. I broke my arm in my cousin’s house. I took my cousin’s bike and I fell down the stairs. I passed out, so I went to the hospital. The doctor said to us that I was OK, I didn’t forget anything but I broke my arm. I spent one month with a broken arm so I couldn’t do anything. I got slowly better. I went to some classes to move my arm.

The longest tongue Ulises García Junior 1

One of the Word Records is the longest tongue. This record is held by Nick Stolder who is 24 years old and lives in the USA (California). His tongue is more than 10 cm long! I think this is good because he can eat ice cream very well.

YearBook

The new fable of the cicada and the ant Pablo Martínez Senior 6

The sun was shining in the sky. The animals were enjoying it. They weren’t working. They spent the day gazing at the beautiful forest, swimming in the lake or listening to the cicada’s music. For them life was a chocolate drink and they were sipping it. But there was another animal who didn’t spend time having fun. He just worked. He was gathering nuts the whole day long. For him life was like a bad whisky and he just had to swallow it. But summer doesn’t last forever, and, as the Starks say, “winter is coming”. Every animal was now working, arriving home every day exhausted. Every animal but one. The cicada spent his time playing music and sipping life’s nectar. After two months winter arrived. No animal could remember a harsher winter. The ant was well supplied but the cicada had nothing. The ant felt right and thought, That lazy animal should have worked. But then a music manager appeared and talked to the cicada about a music contract. The winter passed and the cicada arrived back in the forest having made a new album. The ant just sighed when he saw the cicada’s new house and I can assure you that he didn’t say anything good. That day the ant learnt something, he learnt to enjoy life. Carmen Mogón. Junior 1

What’s the Story?

Celebrity body swaps What would happen if you woke up one day and you had swapped bodies with a celebrity? Let’s find out…

Bruno Mars Irene Julián Senior 5

It all began on November, the 15th, when I went to a Bruno Mars concert in Madrid. It was spectacular. When it finished, my friend and I went out of the stadium, and were talking about how amazing the concert was, and about meeting Bruno, when I suddenly saw a shooting star. That night I went to sleep quickly, as I was very tired, but when I reached my bed I felt a strange shiver in my body. I woke up the next morning, yawned, and got up. I looked at my legs, but they weren’t the same. I felt different, so I looked in the mirror, and I screamed. Bruno Mars was in the mirror! All of a sudden someone knocked at the door. “Hey, are you ready?” he asked. “Mm yes, who is it?” I replied. “Oh, how funny you are, ha ha ha”. I was scared, but I left that messy room as if I was the same as always. That man turned out to be one of Bruno’s musicians, well, one of my musicians. We went to rehearse with the rest of the group. Luckily, I knew the songs, so I was able to sing all of them. They sounded great, with the perfect voice. We spent the morning relaxed, but also excited. In the evening we decided to go to a celebrity party to which I had been invited. I had an awesome night with a lot of famous people, who wanted to take photos with me! It was a dream come true. The next day, I opened my eyes, saw myself in my real bedroom, at home, and smiled remembering the exciting day I had had.

Rafa Nadal Marta Bonet Senior 5

The moment I woke up, I was really comfortable. I didn’t want to open my eyes. I was warm, in a big bed and I felt strange, but good. I finally gave in and got out of bed but I started freaking out when I saw the room I was in. It was a spacious and luxurious room. I couldn’t understand it at all. I saw myself in the mirror. At this point I thought it was all just a dream. Why? Because the person who was in the mirror wasn’t me. It was Rafael Nadal! I was Rafael Nadal. For the next couple of minutes I tried to remember what had happened. It all began, I suppose, the day before. I was watching a tennis match (Nadal vs. Federer). At the end of the match, I was walking home when somebody bumped into me. Both our wallets fell to the ground at the same time. We had exactly the same one! When we picked them up and stood up, I saw that that person was Nadal. All of a sudden, I heard a voice calling me (well, calling Rafa), saying that I had a meeting with somebody. When I went to the meeting, I didn’t know what to say. That’s why the person who was asking me questions wasn’t very happy. Later that day, I was in the hotel again. I started getting depressed because I thought I was condemned to being a famous tennis player for the rest of my life. In the afternoon, I went to an important match. Suddenly I saw myself (the real Nadal) in a corner. I went quickly to see him. Rafa was also trying to find me. We went to the bathroom and swapped again by exchanging wallets. When I woke up the next day in my bedroom, I felt relieved. I thought that it had been the worst experience in my life. But, looking back now, I think it was quite a good experience, and I think I should have enjoyed it more.

YearBook

Is it just fiction?

Writing Circle

Cristina Arnés Sanz Senior 9

Another late night at work. Sheerie had been going non-stop since she began working for a big mobile phone company. Considering the fact that she´s the youngest in the firm, her boss might be demanding too much of her. That Friday night, instead of going partying with her friends she had to stay to organize some papers for a deal with an external client. After an hour or so, she heard a sound near the photocopier, so she went to check if that old wornout machine had finally ended its working life. “Oh, not again” She gasped. The noise persisted. Were they cries of help? It sounded as if children were begging “let me out, let me out”. She realized how crazy that thought was and reminded herself of the promise she made some years ago. She was definitely not going to let it happen again. She unsuccessfully tried to focus on her work. She couldn´t help but think of her modern office as an old classroom full of children like it used to be, since she had heard those cries. This was because that fancy building used to be a school many years ago, her grandmother had studied there and had talked about it so many times, all good memories, so she shouldn´t feel that anxiety. It´s true that from the outside it was still an eerie building (the ancient façade, those stained glass windows…), but there has never been anything wrong with that. Without a second thought, she stood up and tried to follow the noise in order to make it stop. It was coming from the basement; she remembered her boss’ words when he had led her on a welcome tour: “This is the archive where we keep the old files. The

bills you work with will end up here eventually. So you don´t need to worry about it now dear”. “I have to worry about it now, dear” She would have liked to tell him now. She went down the creaky stairs. “I thought the whole building had been remodeled, I guess not” She moaned. They led to a big room full of shelved record boxes. She was glancing over them when something dropped behind her. She looked back terrified and found one of the record boxes on the floor, the sheets in disorder having fallen down. She took one and barely could make out the words. 1934 register. It was a list with hundreds of names, some crossed out. Unexpectedly, she found her grandmother´s name next to another one crossed out, Alissia Hemmings. What could that mean? Suddenly, the sounds of gasps saying “Let me out, let me out” broke out. She ran upstairs and decided to call her grandmother to tell her about the register, in spite of the fact that she’d probably tell her that the visions and hearing things that she had had as a child were just coming back and she´d have to fight it back by controlling her mind, because it´s just fiction and she knew that, she had promised herself so. After a few beeps, her grandmother was on the other side of the line. “What´s wrong honey? It´s late at night” Her grandmother asked concerned. “Grandma, do you know who Alissia Hemmings is?” And her grandmother went pale with horror.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Story?

Story Jaime Grau Senior 9

I like the peace. It makes me feel safe, protected; however I do not fit in here and I seriously need to get out of it now. I have always said that I am not that kind of person, the person that changes when money takes over. I would never have said that money was so persuasive, so attractive, and so addictive. I am certainly sure that I should not have won the lottery and now I can prove it. I am watching the lake, the kids. Those kids that are wearing as much makeup as their mothers, those kids that pretend that they are happy, those kids that care more about material things than love, hope wisdom. Everything here seems royal; so luxurious, so profuse. All the mothers and wives telling everybody how much income their husbands earn. All the mothers wearing flamboyant hats, colourful parasols and sunshades. All the wives that are planning what they are going to do or in which bed they are going to lie when their old, rich, famous husbands die. I feel sick around here even though

I feel sorry for them. Money has taken over souls, they are lost. I hear something. Flocks of mocking birds and sparrows are chirping on the shore of the lake. What they are singing is a masterpiece. I have never heard anything so beautiful. Then a pack of savage dogs make the birds fly off. Now they are coming towards me, barking, telling me that I should leave that place too. The place where I have grown up, my place. With all the courage I can muster, I walk away, stopping only to look back at what money had been taken away from me. A tear drops from my eyelash and before it reaches the corner of my mouth I turn back and continue with my odyssey.

YearBook

Him Pilar Villamor Senior 7

Writing Circle

I hated everything. Nothing made sense. My life was a living hell. I wanted everything to stop. I was an innocent girl until I met him. He, he destroyed my life, every good memory, every nice moment I ever had, everything, just over. My life was always going up and down but now, it doesn´t go up anymore, I’m stuck in a world of misery, and it’s entirely his fault. I should have listened to my friends, I should’ve stayed away from him, but I couldn’t. Every time he looked at me my world lit up what I didn’t know is that I was just a game for him. Now I regret every single bit of my life that I spent with him. I wish everything that happened since the day I met him was a nightmare and that I would wake up soon, but the thing is that it isn’t a nightmare, this is reality and I screwed up.

Cristina de Ponte and Helena Pérez. Senior 10

I could just end everything it would only take a couple of minutes or even seconds but I have to stay strong, I have to keep going and try to forget about him. It’s going to be difficult, but it’s not impossible. This is going to be the rebirth of the old me.

Inés Ampuero. Junior 1

What’s the Story?

Sleeping under the stars Javier Gómez Junior 2

I have slept under the stars. I went to a campsite with some friends and my brother Kenzo. It was an English summer camp. We walked approximately 10 km to the camp. The campsite was near a town in the province of Toledo. I carried a backpack with a water bottle and a sleeping bag to the camp.

Last weekend. Noa Balaguer. Junior 1

Pablo Quevedo, Tigers, SEK Very proud of his Monster Phonics

Ana García Stone and her Senior 10 class, the first class to use the new building in Martínez Campos.

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I was there Mar Vergara Senior 10

My name is Éponine, and I’ve had the chance to witness something really unique. I was born in Aude in the south of France twenty years ago and my parents my brother and myself are Bon Hommes. What is this? Funny you should ask. We are also known as Cathares here. We are a religious group forbidden by Christianity for our “heretical behaviour”. We believe both man and woman are equal, we believe in personal sacrifice because it is the only way for you to reach God and Heaven. And everyone can become a leader because everyone deserves a chance to grow and help others. And that’s why we are persecuted. And this is the reason why I am writing this from Peyrepertuse. Safe and hidden. I was there in Monsegue, when it all started. It was one last safe place, a castle up high. The French and Spanish, finest figures of Christianity, showed up and asked us to give up our faith to stay alive. Some of us wept, but not one of us gave up. In our faith we are strong, and death is one step closer to God. Fifteen guards were sent up here, I guess to look for us and to make sure that no one escaped. We knew we only had until dawn to live and we held our only ceremony. The fire was red and the night cold.

We all connected to each other and to Him. Even the guards, having finally understood who we were, joined us. We knew we were going to die but we didn’t care. We were terrified of death but stood strong. When the ceremony was over, our leader Marie came to see me. She gave me our documents and sacred treasures and begged me to leave and tell our story. I was forced to, actually. So that night, my brother, two more young boys and myself descended the mountain slowly and carefully and ran away to Peyrepertuse. Here we were disguised as a maid and three assistants. I heard that they all met the fire and I am still horrified by what human beings can do. I have also heard that some of us ran away carrying nothing less than The Holy Grail! Now everyone knows we ran but not who we are. We still keep our secrets and it won’t be until we die that this letter will be found and the truth discovered. And then it won’t matter anymore. So I guess what I mean with this is both to fulfil my master’s request and to show the world how brutal and cruel men can be, with no reason at all but hate. To Eternity Éponine - the last bonne femme.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Story?

And then I started feeling at home Daniel Flores Senior 9

If there is one memorable event that I will always keep to myself, it would be when I was first on stage. Starting from the very beginning, I have always been interested in acting. Above all, in how actors and actresses manage to metamorphose into someone who, indeed, has never existed. Two years ago, I started taking drama lessons at school and, after a short period of training, I was meant to rehearse in front of a five-hundredseat auditorium. The crucial day came and this is how I faced it. I started getting dressed in a room near the auditorium. It was going very well, I was feeling the support of my mates until the director came in to tell the cast that an infinite queue was lining up, waiting to see the performance. A tiny feeling of anxiety appeared in my stomach but I fixed it by trying to think how my character needed to be in the play. Meanwhile, I was telling myself that I was capable of skipping those sensations of insecurity. Then, an unavoidable wave of stressful feelings was just at the point of breaking on the edge of my soul.

Suddenly, I realised that I had finished my preparation and my body was being led by an unknown irrational force down the corridor, directly to a room where I was supposed to remain silent. I remember hearing an overcrowded theatre muttering. It was as if a heavy stone had been put inside my ears to not let me hear anything but my thoughts. That wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t particularly a good sensation, however, it helped me to concentrate and focus more on the play rather than on the pressure of the whispering atmosphere in the auditorium.

Finally, everything began. The public became quiet. Mechanical sounds were indicating that the curtain was going up. One of my partners opened a door. I was blinded by a spotlight. I was not prepared. I tried to run away but my feet were stronger than I was. Wait! Why are you, my feet, leading me to the stage? One step. Please, stop! I do not want to go there. Another step. I beg you not to continue walking! Last step. I walked through the door and, from that moment on, I started feeling at home.

Nuria Armesto and Pablo Forjanes. Senior 10

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Mr. Bean goes to the dentist. Inés González, Borja Fernández and Lucía Cañizares. Yellows

What’s the Story?

September morning Javier Martínez Senior 10

It was a sunny September morning. That year I was beginning university in October, so I spent the month before in America with some friends. We had been in many different cities in the USA and Canada, and we were finishing our trip in New York. I can remember how that morning we had been in many shops on 5th Avenue, walking through the city. After that, we sat in a McDonald’s for lunch. Everything was right and funny until 3 o’clock. Suddenly we heard a noise. It was weird, deafening. We were scared for a few seconds, but we soon carried on talking. Just a couple of minutes later the sky began to turn grey, and we started to hear the police and the fire fighters, in cars and helicopters.

huge crash set off the panic. We moved to a place with fewer skyscrapers to try to identify where the problem was coming from. And I will never forget the image of both twin towers destroyed. I can’t describe what I felt at that moment. We were all just shocked, and all of us began to receive many calls. Of course our parents had seen all that on the news, and were really frightened.

Luckily for us, the worst part had passed. We rushed to the hotel; I had never run so fast. And once we got there we followed the news on TV, without going out to the street. We talked to our parents by phone each ten minutes. As soon as we could fly to Spain we did. I can say that this experience totally changed me. It made me appreciate the calm and normal days, and I am now much less easy to frighten than before.

That was the worst moment. Nobody knew what was happening, and scary faces were everywhere. People were getting more and more nervous as the sky turned darker. Then the noise of a low-flying plane and another Pablo Forjanes and Nuria Armesto. Senior 10

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Word Record Carmen Davara Junior 1

His name was Michael Jenkins. The record was to be the fastest person to drink one litre of lemon juice with a straw. He did it in 54 seconds. He did it in Los Angles, California USA. He attempted this record because he wanted to win something. This record has disadvantages because you can throw up the lemon juice. Another disadvantage is that his mouth will itch very badly after he has drunk so much lemon juice. His family and friends think that he was crazy. I think the same.

Book Fair Sofía. Junior 1

The resources centre staff and John Liddy organized a book fair last year and raised 336 Euros, books and material, for the charity EDUCO, which works in Spain and internationally, helping children to receive an education. A big “Well done” and thanks to all involved.

Steve Evans presents Alba Otero of Educo with the money raised by the book fair. Icíar Cabañal. Tigers (Esclavas)

What’s In the restaurant the Story?

In the restaurant SEK Tigers designed their own menus in preparation for a restaurant role play. Students took it in turns to be the customers and the waiters, and some even took on the role of the cooks! Jo Kay

Cloe Raymudez, David de la Fuente, Pablo Quevedo Tigers (SEK)

Pablo Bailón takes the order. Marta Lizuar can’t quite decide what to have.

Cloe Raymúndez, Pablo Quevedo, David de la Fuente and Gabriel González in the restaurant

Menu by Marta Lizuar

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Halloween Werewolf or Vampire Pablo Rodríguez Senior 8

Supernatural beings used to be very scary but nowadays we can see how Halloween has changed and people find these beings even funny or sexy. This might have happened because now people are more accustomed to watching these beings in films or TV series with a comic theme. In my opinion the scariest supernatural being is the werewolf because when it turns into an animal it’s not a simple animal, it’s a massive wolf with superstrength, very big teeth and runs like a bullet. But that’s not the worst thing. The worst thing is that the person who has just turned into it doesn’t know, and can’t control what they’re doing. It’s a beast, not a human and the beast only has one feeling: the killing feeling.

Colette’s devilish Yellows, Juan, Sergio, Luis, Mencía, Blanca, Jaime, Cayetano and Beatriz

On the other hand we have vampires which scare too, but female vampires are very sexy at the same time. I wouldn’t mind a female vampire taking a bite of me. I don’t know why this is, maybe because on TV most of them are young and beautiful and make us have thoughts about them. As a conclusion, I wouldn’t like to be face to face with a werewolf, as much as with a female vampire.

Natalia’s terrifying Tigers, Clara, Daniel, Pablo, Guillermo, Keying, Gonzalo and Cecilia

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Halloween

Enid’s mirror Raquel García López Senior 6

The light started tinkling in the room 106. I’ve never liked the abandoned hospital of Coldwater, it was on the outskirts of the city and since 2003 it has been unused. The newspapers have never said why. My friends knew that the guard would leave the hospital unattended at half past one... It was the last day of summer. Thomas and Am opted to stay overnight in hospital. At first I wasn´t really sure, but I thought It would be an interesting experience. While my friends were laughing and touching everything my eyes began to envision two black dots on a yellow liquid which was in the medicine cupboard. “How strange” I thought. I started feeling nervous so I went to the washroom for some water. I´ve never been a scaredy cat, so I went alone. But I should have gone with someone.

Barbara García, holding her lethal concoction

When I went into the washroom there were two black dots in the mirror like in the liquid. I was paralyzed while I was analysing those dots. Then I saw her. She had long grey hair and a really dirty hairband. I felt my pulse in my head and even in my hands. I turned but she wasn’t behind me. I looked at the mirror again and I screamed as loud as I could. She was nearer than before. I believed I started crying. She didn’t have a face, only two black dots. She raised her hand and she began to scratch the mirror. That was horrible because at the same time my chest started bleeding. ENID was written on my chest and on the mirror. It was like millions of needles nailing my heart. After that I couldn’t shout any more, I bent down and I covered my ears waiting for her to kill me. A hand touched me and I knew it would be the end, but it was Am. “What are you doing?” she asked, “Hey, Do you know in the room 106 a girl called Enid died? How exciting, you must see her profile, she had black eyes, isn´t it weird?” I was never again able to look at a mirror or tell the truth. It will be our secret Enid. Ok?

Daniel Karim Villar del Río. Reds. The sneering vampire!

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It was just a game Sandra Poza Senior 6

This is my story and how driven by boredom, I sealed my fate. I’ve always had curiosity for the paranormal, but I took it too far and now I have to deal with the consequences. Some days ago I was really bored, we had winter holidays, and it was too cold to go out with friends. So I decided to search in my older brother’s things. There I found something to distract me: a Ouija board. And of course I couldn’t resist the temptation to test it. I set the board in my room, a little glass and the ritual began. That’s where I committed my first mistake; you mustn’t use the Ouija alone. But I asked anyway “Is anyone there?” “YES” so I kept asking till it began to say awful things about me, my family and so on. I tried to close the session, “Goodbye” I said but it wouldn’t go away. So I threw the board and the glass inside my closet, never to see the light again. That was my second mistake; you can’t leave until the spirit closes the session. That night my nightmare began. It was past midnight when I heard movement inside my closet, it was moving the glass. I ignored it and kept sleeping until the glass smashed against the closet door. Suddenly I felt its breath in my face, it was terrifying. Then there was a weight in my mattress, cold hands hugged my back, my arms, all night long. That became a ritual for it, with the dead animals in my window, the bruises and the whispers. The police can’t do anything, no one can. And if I have to take the whole bottle of pills to make him go away, I will, I’m in hell already anyway.

Celia Benítez and Inés Martínez. Junior 2, looking for their next victim

Behold the pumpkin! Marcos García, David de la Fuente and Carmen Fernandez. Reds

Halloween

Madison Manor - Hotel For Lost Travelers Carmen Álvarez Junior 6

It was a stormy 31st October night, and Michael and Caitlyn were completely lost. Supposedly they should have arrived at their hotel in the city three hours ago, but after an hour driving on scary roads and creepy paths they found themselves in the middle of nowhere. They almost couldn’t see anything due to the heavy rain. The couple had almost given up when they made out a light in the distance. Quickly they started the engine and drove in the direction of their last hope. Near an old-looking streetlamp there was a sign: “Madison Manor Hotel for Lost Travelers,” it said. Relieved, Michael and Caitlyn followed the gravel path that led to a very old, huge house that looked as if it was going to fall apart at any minute. It had cracked windows and an enormous wooden door at the entrance. The couple got out of the car and by the time they picked up their luggage their clothes were already soaking wet. A tiny old man with barely any hair on his head and a face full of warts opened the door. With a small lantern in hand, he guided them to an empty room and handed them a dirty set of blankets without saying a word.

All wrapped up. Mario Pantoja. Tigers

Michael and Caitlyn couldn’t sleep at all. They woke up in the middle of the night to strange noises. It was as if there were people running on the ceiling above them, screaming and howling. Desperate cries filled the building. Frightened, the couple left the hotel a little before dawn in a hurry. They were totally freaking out. An hour later, they were happily driving again to the city, when Caitlyn brought a hand to her mouth. She had left her purse at the creepy manor. Quickly, Michael turned around, heading in the opposite direction. When they got there, they froze. There was no hotel. They saw a man walking around and decided to ask him. “Excuse me sir,” Caitlyn asked with a trembling voice. “Where is the hotel?” “What hotel?” he asked. “Ahh! The Madison Manor.” “But Miss, it was destroyed by a fire the 31st October fifty years ago.” Guillermo Prieto, the walking dead

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Supernatural Beings Rosa Cuesta Senior 8

Over the years the celebration of Halloween has changed. The idea which started as a kind of cult is nowadays one of the most important parties in the English world. All these changes have made Halloween a different thing, meaning that people just want to dress up and scare others. It’s important to know how Halloween came about. British people thought they could break the limits that separate the dead and living, so they dressed up like awful things to escape from death. Those days awful appearance

Itzíar Baglietto. Yellows, a very scary Halloween nurse

was associated with the bizarre or obscene, but nowadays people just pretend to be fashionable so they think that scaring others at Halloween is old-fashioned. What I mean is, tradition has died. Terrifying clothes such as monsters are out of the repertoire of young people. So, if I had to choose an awful costume that could give me the willies I would choose vampires and witches. We must first consider what they do. A vampire can bite you and transform you into this grotesque creature. On the other hand it’s

Maia Palencia. Tigers, looking bloodthirsty

crucial to gain an understanding of witches’ nature for revenge, which makes them more dangerous because of their power. Obviously all these things I’m saying are just assumptions, hypothetical cases, because as we all know, all these creatures are just imaginary, in an imaginary world. So, between the topics in the conference, I think that the most scary is the vampire because they remind us of this period of time when everybody used to put garlic on their doors.

Ruben Ramos is caught in a web

Halloween

The Deadly Vaccine Sofía Robledo Junior 5

“Tell us, tell us, tell us!” “Ok, ok, calm down. It was 1987. We were in Washington. Scientists from Poucam University invented a new vaccine to prevent Ebola. People started injecting it (Marc and I didn’t). To our surprise it didn’t work. It was worse than we thought. People who injected the vaccine didn’t have feelings. They weren’t happy or sad. They were just like zombies. If you hadn’t injected it yet you were safe, but not completely safe because they could bite you, like vampires, so you would get infected too. People who weren’t injured tried to hide to save their lives, but the zombies followed them.” “You’re getting under my skin!” “Shhh! Let him continue.” “Thanks. This is a bit spooky. I was with Marc, trying to hide in an abandoned supermarket. We were alone. Marc told me he was looking for some food. I stayed there, waiting for him. Suddenly the lights went off. We were in the dark, but in a moment the lights went on again. I called Marc, but he

didn’t answer. I looked for him until I was in front of a cupboard. Inside I heard a moan. Someone was bleeding inside. I was afraid. Scared, I slowly opened the door and…” “What happened?” “Marc was bleeding. A zombie had bitten him and he tried to defend himself, but it was impossible. He was dead.” “I will never open a cupboard again.” “Can you just shut up please! Continue.” “I felt lonely. But I was still alive.” “How did you survive?”

“I had to run to one of the highest buildings in Washington. When I was there some policemen were there with a helicopter. They took me up while other policemen tried to kill everyone who was infected.” “What a mystery.” “Yes it was, now it’s time to sleep.” “And please don’t freak out when we are sleeping.” “You will.” “No, I won’t!” “Shhh!”

YearBook

Vampires or Witches

A Halloween Rhyme

Javier Melendro and Jorge Del Romero Senior 8

Natalia San Benito and Celia Valdueza Junior 5

Historically, people have been scared by supernatural beings like witches, werewolves and vampires. Currently, people don’t find them as scary as before. However, people still fear some of them. On the one hand, vampires, also known as night legends, are extremely terrifying because of their shaped fangs, their physical strength and their ability to fly. However, when young people think about vampires they usually associate them with Twilight films and, as a consequence, they see vampires as romantic creatures instead of terrifying supernatural beings. This is a big downside for vampires.

Dracula now is in the city. And he goes around it very quickly. He emits a foul smell, A wicked witch casts a spell. And for him it’s a pity

On the other hand, witches and warlocks still appear in children’s worst nightmares, they see them as disgusting, evil and ugly creatures. In most people’s opinion, witches scare more for their physical features than for what they can do to them. To sum up, both of them are scary, but vampires are still more sinister than witches, mainly because they can kill people more easily.

Pinks Luis Artero, Miguel Coca, and Rodrigo Sánchez Teran vamping it up

Mónica Barnuevo. Junior 1, putting Hamish Minty, (or is it John Henderson) to the sword.

Halloween

Lucía Herreros. Pinks

YearBook

Gabriela Ferulli. Pinks

Daniela Peiro, Blanca Zarzalejos, Icíar Navarro. Senior 9

Nieves Quintana. Tigers (Esclavas)

Patricia Matei. Pinks

Jesus Reuda. Junior 3

Juan Muñoz. Senior 8

Alejandra Martínez de Irujo. Pinks

Inés Reina. Pinks

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All creatures great and small

Diana Rodríguez. Tigers

Blanca Moreno Pandas. (Blanca de Castilla)

Giraphant Álvaro Velasco Junior 1

The giraphant has the head and the neck of a giraffe and the body of an elephant. It has got a long neck, like a giraffe and a fat body, like an elephant. It’s a very rare animal!

Bosco Charlen Pandas. (Blanca de Castilla)

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All creatures great and small

An interview with an alien Ulises García Junior 1

An Interview with an alien Do you live on earth? No I don´t I live on Mars. Do you play football on your planet? I don’t play football, but I play basketball. Do you have any pets? Yes, I have a red dog.

Cristina Manjón. Reds (Sagrados Corazones)

Do you like paintings? Yes, I’m a good painter. Do you have any brothers or sisters? Yes, I have 21 brothers and 51 sisters.

Carmen Esteban. Tigers

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Bruno Rodríguez. Tigers

Carolina Morán. Pandas (Blanca de Castilla)

Marina González. Pandas (Blanca de Castilla)

Javier Carmona. Pandas (Blanca de Castilla)

All creatures great and small

Arms Marcos Ă lvarez Junior 2

Do you have 8 arms? Yes, I have 8. Where are you from? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m from Madrid. Do you like basketball?

Javier Carmona. Pandas (Blanca de Castilla)

Yes, I do. How old are you? 10 years old. What is your favourite colour? My favourite colour is green.

Jimena Pedraz. Reds (Sagrados Corazones)

Juan Madero. Reds (Sagrados Corazones)

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Panroo Ana Gómez Junior 1

It’s an amazing animal! It’s a kangaroo and a panda. This is a very big animal. This animal can run very fast and jump. This animal can swim too because it eats fish. It is a very funny animal!

María Vigario. Reds (Sagrados Corazones)

Marina González. Pandas (Blanca de Castilla)

Ulla Dávila. Pandas (Blanca de Castilla)

All creatures great and small

The ziraffe Ana Otheo de Tejada Junior 1

The ziraffe is a hybrid animal. They live in the Savannah in Africa. There are only a few ziraffes in the world. Zira the ziraffe has a mother that is a giraffe and a father that is a zebra. Zira doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to eat from small trees; she can eat from tall trees.

Raquel VelĂĄzquez. Junior 3

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A book that meant the world to me This year one of the events organized to celebrate International Book Day, April 23rd, was “A book which has meant the world to you…” Sonia, Cristina and Gabriela in the Library along with John Liddy decided to find out from staff here at MYL, what book they most admired. There were dozens of replies and here are some of them.

Bomarzo, opened me up to a whole different world. The Renaissance was a time in history when ideas were exploding, in art, literature and in science. It is a fascinating book, if you like historical literature.

magic realism to entertain us along the way. Little did I know I’d end up there, studying the continent at university and loving its literature too. G.G. Marquez, we will miss you

The Little Prince is a very special book for me, not the first time that I read it when I was a child, but when I reread it and realized the truth in the story.

To kill a mockingbird, by Harper Lee. I have never forgotten this book, and I am very glad I was not made to read it at school, but instead I read it out of my own curiosity. It is about a young girl and herperspective on the events of a summer, when an innocent man is put on trial.

Everyone who has read this lovely book remembers the drawing of the “hut” … it seems like a hut, however it isn’t. I think the essential point is when his friend Fox teaches him that the important things in life are visible only to the heart.

One Hundred Years of Solitude. Gabriel Garcia Marquez When I found it in a north London bookshop, I had no idea what it was about: a saga set in a jungle somewhere in South America, the blurb said. What it is in fact ,is the whole history of Latin America squeezed into the bosom of the Buendía family (good job Marquez pointed the family tree in the opening pages – so many Aurelianos!) with large doses of

“Alas, Babylon” by Pat Frank. It is a past-apocalyptic tale that takes place in 1950’s America. It is a tale of what would have happened if Russia and the USA had bombed each other with nuclear weapons and how a family and community survived and adapted their new situation. It speaks about the human condition, survival against impossible odds, and people achieving the unexpected.

María Isabel Peréz. Pinks

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Our planet, our home

Julia Gonzรกlez. Yellows (Blanca Castilla)

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The seventh continent Clara Villate Senior 7

It’s called the seventh continent, because it consists of a 10 metre thick layer of rubbish in the west of the Pacific Ocean. It is 3,600,000 square kilometres, which is about six times the size of France. It’s just made out of rubbish, human waste and a very special type of insect. These used to live in water but they need somewhere firm (in this case rubbish) to lay their eggs. That’s why when some ships and big boats get stuck there, they take over two days to get out. This part of the Pacific Ocean doesn’t have much fish as they usually mistake the rubbish with food.

Waste Abril Quintana Senior 6

I am going to talk about the environment and the relevance of recycling because I think people should be made more aware about of recycling and the waste of things. The positive aspect is that there are people who recycle in their houses and that is good for the environment. We have containers

which is a facility for us to recycle more and separate the materials more easily. The negative aspect is that there are a lot of people who don’t make the effort to recycle their waste. There are a lot of containers in the sea like plastic bottles, cans, and plastic bags. Furthermore, they are harmful to the animals living there.

In conclusion, I think we need to show people that if we don’t recycle, our world is going to become a lot worse and our children are not going to enjoy our world as we are enjoying it now. So, there must be a law which penalizes all citizens who throw their waste and rubbish into the sea.

Our planet, our home

Luis Prieto. Junior 1

Responsible attitude Jimena Fernández Senior 7

Freecycling.org is a network where people give and get stuff for free, to reuse whatever we can reuse. This network is made up of 5,000+ groups with 7 million members worldwide. As google says “freeganism is the practice of reclaiming and eating food that has been discarded. It is part of a wider “anti-consumerist” ideology and it often employs a range of alternative living strategies based on limited participation in the conventional economy.”

We need to preserve the planet, our planet. And there are some good ideas that I would like to share .

YearBook

Always the same question Andrés Timón Senior 10

It seems that nowadays, talking about the environment is in fashion. Everyone enjoys the role of a defence attorney for nature. However convincing these people of the opposite idea is quite easy, as long as defending nature interferes with their personal lives. After all who doesn’t want a piece of progress even if it threatens the future balance of the environment. If you don’t think about future generations you can ignore the demands of nature. You will undoubtedly have a better life, a cheaper life. What if the source of my electricity jeopardizes the planet in the long term? All I need are the facilities that I can afford to buy. Progress has given us all of this, so progress itself will be one to solve the problems that might be appearing now. But problems might not disappear. Maybe when we realize what we were doing it is already too late. People of the future will quite rightly blame us for the leftovers of the earth that they have as an inheritance from us. Was it necessary to endanger the environment in such an avoidable way? This can’t be the price of progress. Our ancestors didn’t do things brilliantly but they could have done much worse. It’s a foolish idea to turn our backs on progress, but it’s more foolish not to give our children a chance to enjoy this world. It’s so easy to recycle for example, that not doing it is unjustifiable. Let’s make a little effort so that our children are able to ask themselves this same question: Is environmental decay a small price to pay for economic prosperity?

Environmental decay is a small price to pay for economic growth Mar Vergara Senior 10

From earliest times human groups have modified nature to develop into more complex forms of organization and to stand above other human groups. Since prehistoric times, survival itself has depended on our ability to modify the environment and to adopt it to our means. And that pattern lives on today. Whereas this behaviour has been repeated over time it was during industrialization that it became dangerous. From pre-history to early modern times the change had been slow and progressive without causing any major loss. That changed in the 18th century. The speed and rate at which we were growing as a society was higher than ever and so was the rhythm at which we destroyed nature. Looking back, we can agree that destroying the environment is inherent to mankind. But this, far from exempting us from any responsibility only proves that we humans with the ability and skill to create can also be the most harmful creature on earth. It should however encourage us to demonstrate we care about the environment. We have achieved the capacity necessary to keep growing without polluting yet we’d rather grow and grow without seeing the harm we cause. I do believe we can change that. I do believe in the power we’ve learned and our ability to make a difference. Because no, environmental decay is not a small price to pay. It is the most expensive price that can ever be paid: by destroying nature we are slowly destroying ourselves. And there is still time to change. But if not now when?

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Poetry in motion

Poetry in motion Demons, heroes, kings and prince (Inspired by Jonathan Mellor’s talk at Cultural Week)

In the world there are mountains Carmen Donoso and Lucía González Reds (Valdeluz)

Javier Serrano Senior 8

In the world there are mountains and forests and trees,

Grim demons, heroes, kings, princes

I like to climb and swim and fish,

What are all of them doing in my life?

We can make it better, we can make it clean.

When I look to those grim demons,

We can give it a hand and a foot!

The only thing I see is suffering

We can give it forests and seas.

When I stare at heroes, I can see each one of the missionaries Who dedicate their lives to others. If I gaze at kings, Just what I am thinking of are The teachers who have changed their reality into a better one. If I focus my attention on princes I can see all of you, the successors of the world, Present and future of the fate of humanity. Remember, now you have the opportunity to become part of this story, Just do not miss it

I don’t know why all of them are sick.

We can give it monkeys, giraffes and wales, Lizards and lions and tigers and bees.

YearBook

Daniel Muñoz. Reds (Valdeluz)

Some clerihews from Junior 2 Miley Cyrus Has a horrible virus She feels very bad And she has an Ipad.

Bruno Mars, Loves fast cars, He must be late, ‘cause he broke a plate.

Inés Bernar Junior 2

Marcos Martínez Junior 2 (Esclavas)

Matias Prats, Likes maps, And his wife has a boring life. Ana de Navascues Junior 2 (Esclavas)

Gareth Bale, Is really a female, She wears a tanga And reads comics like manga.

Pablo Motos, Likes to take photos, And he has a cat, That is very fat.

Ismael “the grandiose poet” Fernández. Junior 2

Clara Babío Junior 2 (Esclavas)

Poetry in motion

Limericks from Junior 4 There was a good boy from Spain, Who couldn’t remember his name, He went to Rome, To speak to his mum, And now he remembers again. David Torrecilla

The world isn’t mine Manuela Durán and Candela Saludes Reds (Valdeluz)

The world isn’t mine, The world isn’t yours, The world isn’t his, The world isn’t hers, It’s ours! It’s ours! Our world is a song, but we’re causing it harm,

There was an old girl from Greece, Who loved the calm and the peace, She drank some champagne So she lost her brain Then she put on a beautiful fleece.

We need our seas, mountains, lakes and farms.

Naroa Marcos There was a teenager from Spain, Who left her country on a plane, She went to New York, To find some good work, But in the airport it started to rain. Cristina Revilla There was a young boy from Brazil, Who had a cold so he was ill, He went to the Vips And he ate some ribs, But he forgot to ask for the bill. Jorge García

Fire of the fierce (Inspired by Jonathan Mellor’s talk at Cultural Week) Jorge Librero Senior 8

Fire of the fierce, Light that guides true men. He who told the tales. Of those who were to reign. Days of true brave beings, Which fought and drank and sang Among the walls Of splendoured castle walls.

Venturing to the unknown, Many perished in battle, Generously giving their lives For the people they ruled as knights.

YearBook

Room 6

Jimena de Andrés, Emma Talavera, Lira Talavera. Senior 4

Luis Martín, Patricia De Castro. Senior 9

50 That’s what I think!

That’s what I think! Someone I admire Sara L. Moncayola Senior 6

There are lots of people who deserve to be admired and most of them aren’t famous or don’t get any prizes for their actions or their lives or whatever it was that made them admirable. If I had to choose someone I admire, I would decide on my great grandfather, José Moncayola Cortés. José Moncayola was the mayor of a little village in Zaragoza called Murillo de Gallego during the civil war. He had a left-wing ideology and because of that Franco’s troops killed him and another eleven men, also leftwing, in a field. They were executed by firing squad. A van had taken the twelve men to the field and before it showed up someone had warned my great grandfather and advised him to run away but José refused. He said that he had nothing to escape for. He wanted to express his ideas and fight for his beliefs and for his people. The reason why I admire him is that he didn’t run away. He was the bravest person I’ve ever heard of and I would love to be as brave as he was and never forget my beliefs and ideas, things that make me who I am.

Sunrise Ana Martínez Senior 9

Sunrise is my favourite English word because of what it symbolises. Also, it was the first word I learnt when I travelled abroad. It was at that time I realised how beautiful sunrises could be. It was a windy, foggy and freezing morning. I was at the Cliffs of Moher waiting for the sun to come up, when I realised I didn’t know the name of this phenomenon. So, nowadays, I love both the word and the meaning.

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Stress during exams Cristina Miquel Senior 8

It is usually believed, and not only by experts, that academic failure is highly related to stress. This is due to the fact that students cannot pay attention or lose their concentration because they have something else on their mind. According to some experts in a recent seminar, there are several steps schools and students can follow to improve this situation.

activities. According to an expertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opinion stated during the seminar, it is advisable to remind students that there is more to life than exam success. For this reason, schools should probably reduce assignments in order to let their students disconnect from daily stress and, in that way, come back more relaxed than if they had no time to escape.

Probably the most important action schools take would be teaching students how to have a structured revision timetable prior to exams. Many students already have clear and organized ideas owing to their ordered and tidy notes apart from a scheduled studying timetable. Furthermore, a great idea would be to space out their studying and to take short breaks between subjects.

In view of the above arguments, assigning time both to studying and enjoying themselves would, in my opinion, decrease studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; stress during the exam period. Although it is more important for my taste to be well organised, having time to spend on your hobbies is also recommendable for students who want to get away from school-life worries.

Not only would being well organised help students to prevent themselves from getting stressed, but also give them time for relaxation and leisure

My ideal school Silvia de la Encina Pinks

You must always watch TV. You must do magic in class. You must eat popcorn. You must play video games in class. The teacher mustnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t punish the students.

That’s what I think!

That’s what I think, Kim’s game Kim’s Game is an activity to help student´s capacity to observe and remember vocabulary. Students in Stuart Gibb´s Senior 5 class studied a number of objects for two minutes after which the items were hidden. The students then listed the vocabulary in their notebooks. They were asked to select 6 items they would take on holiday or to a desert island and say why. Here is what they said......

Susana Lucas and Candela Escobar

Alba Isidro and Irene Torres

1. The mandarin: because it We could eat it if we were hungry

1. Dictionary because if we were in a foreign country we could use it to communicate

2. The belt because we could use it for a lot of things, for example to save a person if he or she is bleeding or to catch something which is very high

2. Headphones because if you are alone and bored you could have entertainment

3. The agenda to send a letter if we are lost or have problems 4. The credit card if we need money 5. The pencil case to keep useful things in.

3. Tupperwear if you want to keep some food 4. Credit card because you can use it in every country in the world 5. Wallet to keep things in 6. Hat to protect you from the sun and in the winter not to be cold

6. The box to put something in and throw into the sea for people to know where we are.

Stuart with Alba Isidro, Irene Torres, Candela Escobar and Susana Lucas from his 5 Senior class

YearBook

Local Hero

New technology

Belén Campos Senior 8

Jara López Senior 8

In response to the idea of proposing a local hero to be honoured, I am writing to suggest a local hero who in my opinion deserves to be honoured more than any other.

Parents are usually afraid of children spending too much time in front of the screens of electronic devices because they think it could turn us into zombies or make us more stupid. We are creating a new society which is based on technology, changing pen and paper for keyboard and screen.

My choice is Mariano Andrés, a history teacher in my school. As well as being a good teacher, he was a very good person and father, actually he was my best friend´s father. Five years ago, doctors told him that he had cancer, but after several treatments and surgery, he recovered. Then after 5 years fighting against his illness, Mariano passed away on October 16th. He spent his whole life looking out for the welfare of others, for that reason, before his death, he said he didn’t want flowers at his funeral, he wanted all the money that would be spent on flowers instead to be donated to an NGO. And his last wishes came true. My school collected more than 500 euro which went to the Spanish Association against Cancer. In my opinion he was an example of good citizen’s behaviour, always taking care of people even after passing away. He was also a person who fought to his last breath. He was an average person, not rich or famous, simply humble. If my choice is accepted I suggest that the Council set up a fund which could be used to help associations against different illnesses and also the families of sick people.

In my opinion, there are two sides to this. On one hand technology is improving our lifestyle and making it easier as well. Whereas on the other hand, young people are using it too much and this cannot be good for the future if our health. Nowadays, technology is essential to everything around us. Young people are more used to this way of life having been born into it, for us there is no other way of life. It is positive for everything, for communication and for storing information in less space. However, it is true that we spend too much time using these electronic devices. The shiny screen could make our sight worse or the sound distract us from our real work. In conclusion, I think this is a new lifestyle we have to live with and parents should teach their kids to use technology but also to manage to survive without it.

That’s what I think!

No need for homework

Our favourite words

Inés Huerta Senior 7

These are some of the favourite words from Ian’s Senior 9 class.

Do teachers know that we have a life outside school? I guess some of them don’t. If there’s one thing that gets on my nerves it is when they start giving us work to do as if there was no tomorrow. I mean, we’ve got another eight subjects, with another eight teachers filling us with homework and stuff to study. It’s pathetic that they get mad when we don’t have our homework done, because later, when we do a test, it takes ages for them to bring them back corrected, and they make excuses for themselves by saying that our class is not the only one they teach! Seriously? Do you think that your subject is the only one we have to study? And it also annoys me to think that many times the work that we have to do is useless and teachers just make us do it because they don’t know what else to do. If we have nine subjects and each of them takes up to one hour of our time in the afternoon, when on Earth are we supposed to relax?

If you want to see what the words mean you need to scan the QR codes with your phone or tablet. You do not need an internet connection as the codes have text message embedded in them. If you do not have a QR reader app there are many free apps on google play or the app store.

dystopia lopsided

fulfil

enrich daunting

pillow

hence

tackle

YearBook

Power corrupts absolute power corrupts absolutely

Queues

Andrea Sánchez Senior 7

I’m fed up with queues! Don’t you just hate it when you’re standing like an idiot, sweating and you can’t move. It annoys me to think that I’m wasting my time there instead of doing something useful.

In general, most wars, battles and conflicts that have taken place during history, seem to begin because of a common reason: the fight for power. On the one hand, people must obey what leaders say in an absolute government so as not to be punished. Therefore, this system removes the nation’s power in order to give it to one person, who is “suitable” for leadership. However, their capability could be doubtful because in the end, they look out for their own good, not the common one. In addition, this can be seen as well in democracy, where politicians’ aims consist of getting votes by promising benefits to the population so that they can take advantage of public money. On the whole, personally I think not only absolute power, but all kinds of power corrupt absolutely –even the soul- and could can turn the best leader into the worst on Earth.

Miguel García de Castro Senior 7

It drives me mad having to queue up especially at airports, I get sick to death of those queues, they are the worst. It’s so infuriating to see a guy who jumps the queue just by saying to everyone “Sorry, I never queue up.” Then one time I had had it up to here with waiting in a queue. I was so annoyed that I went to the front of the queue. It sounds ridiculous but it was worth it

Smug Daniel Flores Senior 9

If there is a word that best fits this person, it would be “smug”, as he is looking down on others or simply feeling superior. He is also selfconfident, thinking he has reached a good position in life. His facial expression shows that he might be strong-willed and a determined person who would fight for his goals. If we travel inside his mind we might discover that he is compassionate, yet everything he shows to the outside world is only a false appearance due to his unsteady soul.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what I think!

The Christmas lottery Advertisement Rosario Soler Senior 9

The Spanish advertisement of the Christmas Lottery is one of the most famous and commented commercials this winter. What is more, some TV programs and many users of different social networks have parodied it. The advertisement is located in a neighbourhood of Madrid. The first scene shows a woman giving a piece of advice to her husband, who is frustrated because apparently he is the only one in the neighbourhood who did not buy the winning ticket. What he cannot imagine is that he will receive a gigantic surprise. To film the commercial, the crew had a tight budget, but this did not turn out to be a problem, since no special effects or famous actors were needed. The actors were all middleaged people. Without any doubt, one of the most important elements of the advertisement is the lighting. The illumination given to each moment is of great importance due to the power of colours and lights to bring back sensations and emotions. Precisely, the aim of this commercial is to make the spectators experience a mixture of feelings (just like the main character does in the fiction) and to be persuasive. The advertising agents want us to believe that if we do not buy a lottery ticket we are going to be wretched. They present the fact of winning the lottery as the only source of happiness, as if nothing else mattered more. May this be considered moral? As far as I am concerned, Christmas is one of the happiest and most important times of the year, and a reason and opportunity to be grateful for everything we have. That is why, in my opinion, there should not be advertisements at Christmas focused just on money and material goods. Still, it is understandable that in order to sell lottery tickets, first you need to ensure that you are going to have clients.

The rollercoaster ride Jaime Guerrero Senior 9

Every time I study at my desk, I stare at a photo which is really important to me because of all the memories that it produces. If you were to look at this photo, you could see a good friend of mine, my sister and myself on a rollercoaster. The photograph was taken the first time I got on a roller-coaster. I remember perfectly well that I was really scared, but something inside pushed me forward and helped me get in. My mother told me that it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessary to try, if I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to. However, my friend argued that I would like it. This advice totally convinced me, so I got on the rollercoaster. My friend was right. At first, I was a little bit nervous but the feeling of falling down really fast was exciting. I tried it three more times until my adrenaline ran out completely. What I learned with this adventure is that every decision in life is like getting on a roller-coaster. Previously, we will be afraid of being wrong, but we have to be determined. Moreover it is something that at first glance we do not like. However, our point of view could change by giving ourselves the opportunity.

YearBook

Too many students give up! David Sánchez Senior 8

Today, in Spain, many young people may find it difficult to choose a job that they like. This might be due to the fact that neither the school nor the university give enough details about where to find jobs, nor do they create programs to obtain experience. Abroad, however, schools introduce courses or tests for the students to develop their abilities and find a job in which they would be working happily every day. Courses where there is not only a theoretical experience, but also practical experience where they could experience working at a real job. This leads to finding a job one might like. Another big problem, in Spain, is the difficulty when students cannot find a job. Nowadays, this might be the most important problem as there are many students who receive an education but when they finish their studies, there isn´t enough work for all of them. Usually, this is the reason why students leave school. So, they need help. Then, the students will be able to see that they have the same chances as everyone else. Also, they will have to fight for their opportunities because nobody will do that for them. The students have to fight for themselves. So, someday, they will be rewarded. Young people need to be helped and encouraged to understand that they can become better people. The only thing that they have to do is not to give up.

Too much mobile Luis Miguel Porras Senior 7

People’s obsession with their mobile phones in public places drives me mad! For example, when you are in the metro and it’s full to bursting, the logical thing should be to put your mobile phone away but they don’t and it’s very irritating. Also, don’t you just hate it when you’re having lunch with some friends and you can’t talk to them because instead of paying attention to what you are saying, they are on their mobiles. It really gets up my nose! By saying this I’m not in favour of preventing the use of mobiles. I know they are useful but we have to control ourselves and understand when we are being excessive. You don’t realise just how many opportunities you miss by constantly being on your mobile. You miss out on amazing views and meeting new people. You definitely end up becoming a robot. This is a new disease that not many people are aware of but it’s always there waiting to attack. And we have to be prepared for it at any time.

Pedro Morán, Marcos Martínez, Alejandro García, Javier González, Marina Lucas, Rocio Benito, Daniel Suárez.

That’s what I think!

Can computers be beneficial for children? Santi Herrera Senior 5

Nowadays, most families have many gadgets, and in the future will have them even more, because the future will be based on technology, but some people say that children are wasting too much time on gadgets, especially on computers. On the one hand, the computer is one of the best inventions in the history of modern culture. Thanks to it, anyone can surf the net, search for information or go shopping online. In addition it is also able to connect millions of people around the world for chatting, watching musicals, sporting events, etc. In addition, currently, the computer is a tool for most workers in large firms, and even civil servants. For example, in many countries, many schools and college teachers give online classes, or they develop their classes using the computer. For all of these reasons, the computer is increasingly beneficial for children, because the future is linked to the computer. On the other hand, the computer can also a dangerous gadget for the children. Internet, in spite of its advantages and uses, it is also full of hackers, scammers, thieves and paedophiles, etc. Any innocent child can be manipulated without realizing it, on their social networks or websites. Moreover, the Internet is the place where there are the most scams and less protected by the police. All in all, the computer, despite being very useful and important in our daily lives, can also be dangerous if you don’t know how to use it, but at the end, the computer is one of the most useful gadgets today.

School improvements María Lanea Junior 4

I am writing to explain how I think our school can be improved. Firstly, I think that we should do more activities that motivate us and we can participate a lot, like discussions with our opinions on a particular topic, trips to museums, activities in groups, oral explanations and watch videos. I think these are great activities to have an enjoyable time and most importantly, to learn. Another point is that we don’t have healthy food in our canteen. I think that in the canteen there should be lots of vegetables and fruit because they give us vitamins and a lot of energy to continue all day with a positive spirit. Finally I would like to say that we don’t have a great gym. The balls are very old and the wall bars are broken, the showers are very small for lots of students that go there after physical education. Another idea is to have a sports club where the students can sign up and join sports like volleyball, basketball and of course football, playing against other schools. I hope you like my ideas.

YearBook

Children who spend hours glued to a computer

Fracking

Javier Melendro Senior 8

If by any chance it had occurred to us that there were no more ways of exploiting our planet’s natural resources, then we have been proved wrong: a new technique, known as fracking is becoming increasingly popular in the petroleum industry and has led to an extremely heated debate about its negative repercussions for the environment. The author of the first text, clearly one of its advocates, points out the importance to modern countries to be self-sufficient in terms of energy so as not to depend on other countries whose overall situation is rather unsteady. They also argue that, because of the huge demand for fossil fuels, it would be unwise to miss such an opportunity to obtain oil which they describe as “cheap and plentiful”.

Currently, there are lots of children that do nothing but sit in front of the computer and stay there for hours. For them it is a good way to spend an afternoon or a whole day, but for parents it is not. Lot of parents have argued more than once with their children about the hours they spend in front of the screen. Indeed seven out of ten children are addicted to computers. The most common thing that parents say is that they should hang out with friends and socialize instead of looking at a machine all day and that if they keep on doing that, they will end up as zombies. I think parents should be concerned about this kind of problem because if they let their children use computers too much, they will not acquire the capabilities to socialize when they are young and it will probably have repercussions in their adulthood.

Julia Pérez Rojo Senior 10

Although I can see the weightiness of these arguments, especially given the current situation in the Middle East, I find this a rather weak excuse disguising inexhaustible greed. Besides it is only in economic terms that it may be considered inexpensive, for when taking into account social and environmental factors, its cost certainly becomes extravagant. On the other hand the second text appeals to our conscience by revealing the actual effects of fracking; not only pollution but also illnesses and the wasteful use of water. To my way of seeing, this view is much less biased than the first and includes the opinion of those who make no profit from this situation. I believe this method to be harmful to our planet, poisoning its entrails and destroying its foundations. Moreover it has been proved that fracking has been the cause of several earthquakes in the areas it is used. However this is not a question of providing facts. We already know what is wrong and right. So I guess the whole matter can be reduced to an ancestral query: does the end justify the means?

60 Reviews

Reviews Man from the south Laura del Corral Senior 9

Man from the South is a short story written by the author Roald Dahl. The action takes place in a hotel in Jamaica, where an old man and an American sailor decide to bet on whether the sailor’s lighter lights. This young boy has to light it ten times. The agreement is easy. If he manages to light the lighter he wins a Cadillac, but if not, he loses a finger. In the end, an old woman enters the room and explains to the others that the old man doesn’t have a car. As she leaves the place, she shows them her hand with only two fingers left. In my opinion, the first half of the story was quite boring, because it was mostly a description of the place and the people. It doesn’t get interesting until the four characters tie the boy’s hand to a table, so he isn’t able to move it. However, I enjoyed the last part of the story, because the end of it was absolutely shocking and unexpected. From my point of view, the end was too short and fast if we compare it to the rest of the story. Probably, it would have improved if the author had described the old woman better, due to the fact that he doesn’t say much about her. As a recommendation, the short story is easy to read, so it would be adequate for young people, such as teenagers. In addition, it would be quite interesting for older people, too. In conclusion, this is a story that I would recommend to people of any age.

The owl who was afraid of the dark Miranda Navalón Yellows

Plop was a baby barn owl, but he was afraid of the dark. He didn’t want to be a night bird. He flew down and spoke to a boy and a lot of people, and he asked if they liked the dark. And everyone said that he was pretty. But one night a black cat took Plop to look at the dark and he said that it’s beautiful and at the end Plop liked the dark.

YearBook

Brave new world

Buster

Javier Serrano Senior 8

Paula Segura Yellows

The novel which I am reviewing is called Brave New World. It was published in 1932 by Chatto & Windus publishing house. Aldous Huxley wrote this sciencefiction novel with the intention of sharing his view of the destination of such huge progress in technology and social structure models. Huxley tried to predict how society would be in 600 years’ time.

The little dog was adopted with love, but when it became bigger the owners did not like it and abandoned it. The dog was lonely, and a big dog bit him on the tail. He found a cat that said this was his territory. He met a few singers and followed them to the house of a man who lived alone and would adopt him.

The book presents a world where the economy goes like clockwork and citizens are divided into classes knowing what they have to do. In this way, all of them live happily. Society only has to await instructions from the headmaster who allocates the tasks and shares the soma, a kind of drug which relaxes the citizens and takes them to another dimension. The main two characters are Lenina and John. Lenina is a model of how a girl should be; intelligent, well-mannered and beautiful. On the other hand, John is described as a strong, tall teenager who is very different from the others. John is unaffiliated with the named ‘’Brave New World’’. Due to that fact, he doesn’t fit in his new lifestyle. What I most liked about this fantastic novel is the wealth of diverse situations the characters have to face and how they would be solved in 600 years. Moreover, the author writes in a captivating way which makes you want to read more and more. Although the ideas proposed are quite innovative and not easy to understand, Huxley leads the reader throughout the whole story. To conclude, I would recommend reading this book in order to realize how far science and technology can go. In addition, reading the novel helped me become more concerned about the human essence and the vast importance of preserving it.

Champions of the World Santiago Sánchez Reds (Claret)

My favourite book is called Champions of the World. The author’s name is Garlando. The story is about football. The character is called Tomi. I like it because it’s exciting.

62 Reviews

Early years Ross Smith and Louise Desmier

This year at our partner escuela infantil ‘TEO’ we have been having a lot of fun with Storytime 1 and 2! We’ve read some amazing stories and seen some weird and wonderful creatures along the way. Here is an example of some of the work the 2-3 year olds have produced throughout the first two terms.

Carmen Cuesta's monster from We’re going on a bear hunt

Neva Franco’s beautiful butterfly from The very hungry caterpillar

Rodrigo Navas' beautiful butterfly from The very hungry caterpillar

María Cires' Froggy jig-saw from Over in the meadow

Darío Chillarón's monster from We’re going on a bear hunt

YearBook

Fall of giants Roberto Lucas Pérez Senior 8

One of my favourite novels is “Fall of giants” which is a historical one set in four main places during World War I. The story begins in 1911 in Aberowen, a mining village in South Wales in which Billy Williams, a13-year-old boy, raised in the heart of a poor mining family, starts to work in a mine. His older sister Ethel works as a servant in Ty Gwyn, count Fitzherbert’s palace. Meanwhile, in London, Fitzherbert’s sister Lady Maud, is secretly in love with a German diplomat, the young and courageous Walter Von Ulrich. A

Rafa Vita. Reds (San Diego)

friend of theirs, Gus Dewar, who lives in Buffalo, USA, is the son of an American Senator and assistant to the president Woodrow Wilson. Finally Grigori and Lev Peshov are two orphans who work in a metallurgic factory in Saint Petersburg. Since this novel has many interweaving plots, the author gives the reader almost every single point of view of how and why the Great War broke out. It also helps us to understand the consequences of the conflict such as the terrible war reparations

on Germany or the Russian Revolution in 1917. I highly recommend this gripping and phenomenal novel because I am completely fascinated by Follet’s ability to tell almost every historical fact that took place during through the experiences of such different characters. Along with this the rise of those who grew up in such harsh conditions and the fall of those who had come from well-off backgrounds are reasons why this novel has become one of the best sellers of the 21st century.

64 Reviews

Invictus

Looking for Alaska

Carlos Sánchez Ruiz Senior 8

Paloma Martínez Senior 10

One of the best films I have ever seen is Invictus. It’s about the problems that existed in South Africa just after and during the apartheid regime. In this period of time, Nelson Mandela became very relevant and popular and his labour and hard work were key in reducing the differences and hatred that existed between black and white people.

It is more than likely that any teenager these days has heard about the novelist John Green, who has written famous novels like The perks of being a wallflower and The fault in our stars (both recently brought to the big screen). And, also, it is more than likely that a lot of them, tired of hearing everyone talk about those books, are sick of everything related to this author. Luckily, I’m not going to talk about those two books, rather Looking for Alaska, a much more underrated one, which could change your opinion about John Green.

The plot of the film is based around the rugby World Cup which took place in South Africa in 1995 thanks to the efforts of Nelson Mandela. The main character is played by Morgan Freeman and personally I think it’s one of his best performances ever. The South African team lifted the trophy, beating the rest of the national teams, captained and directed by the only white player on the team, the captain Joe. At the end of the film Nelson Mandela, as South African president, presented the trophy to Joe as captain of the team. This scene captures a magical and historic moment which helped to reduce the feeling of hate which had existed in the country since apartheid.

No, it’s not a typical love story between two typical teenagers. It’s the story of Miles, a teen who desperately seeks adventure, and eventually has the nerve to go out of his comfort zone to search for what he calls “the Great Perhaps”. He moves to a boarding school, Culver Creek, in which he meets the Colonel, Alaska, and other new friends that will make him feel like he actually belongs somewhere. They spend the days breaking the rules and fighting with the rich boys in school, the “Weekday Warriors”, while Miles falls deeply in love with Alaska. But, one day, something changes their lives dramatically.

Although I knew before who Nelson Mandela was and the importance of his work, thanks to Invictus I felt it deeply and watching it has given me a better understanding of that episode in history.

Miles’ desire to travel and seek adventure can appeal to almost any teen, regardless of their gender, and the fact that he actually musters up the nerve to go out and look for them is, to say the least, inspirational. In my opinion, that’s what gives the book a “feel-good” aspect. Going even further, the novel can make adults find their inner teenager, and realise that we should not lose that spark of curiosity and wanderlust as we grow up. As Miles says: “When adults say ‘teenagers think they are invincible’ they don’t know how right they are. We think we are invincible because we are. We cannot be born and we cannot die. Like all energy we can only change shapes and manifestations. They forget that when they get old.”

YearBook

Fantastic Mr. Fox Rosario Soler Senior 9

The British author, Roald Dahl, surpasses himself with his work “Fantastic Mr. Fox”, a short didactic story that surely will amuse not only children, but the whole family. The book describes the adventures of Mr. Fox and his family, and how they feel obliged to steal food from three farmers in order to survive. The three men are represented in a funny and ridiculous way, exaggerating their physical appearance and being very well illustrated in a series of drawings. On the one hand, these are the “mean” characters who do not live in harmony with the countryside and animals. On the other hand, the writer chooses the fox as the animal to depict the main character to emphasize the intelligence and astuteness of the good and heroic creature. At the end, Mr. Fox, of course, emerges victorious. It is also of great importance to highlight another educational point of the narrative, the aim of which is not only to show the fight between animals and men. Mr. Dahl focuses here on teaching children the significance of rejecting selfishness and of sharing with the others, as may be noticed at the end of the narrative, when the fox shares the food obtained with the rest of animals who were also starving. As far as I am concerned, this book is a great choice for all those families interested in having a good time reading. The fun and original rhymes provide musicality to the story, making it more pleasant for the youngest and more attractive for the adults.

The Landlady Javier Serrano Senior 8

This short story is about a student named Bill, who, while looking for a place to stay the first night in Bath, came across a guest house run by the Landlady. Although the woman is considered to be insane, Billy tolerated that fact because of the reduced price she offered him for the rent. In my point of view, it is a good point the author allows you to imagine the end of the story, which is not clear. It would be a great idea to write a second part of the story so the reader could finally guess if the Landlady was a harmless woman or not. For me, stories are written to teach something, so the moral I take from Roland Dahl’s Landlady is to be careful with deceptive appearances and not to be carried along by extremely good offers unless you know perfectly well what is being hidden behind. To sum up, I would recommend that everyone reading The Landlady due to the pleasant reading and final intrigue which makes it a special one.

Marina Ausina. Yellows

66 Reviews

Apocalypse now Miguel García Prieto Senior 7

This movie was brilliantly directed by Francis Ford Coppola and stars Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando and Harrison Ford. It is a historical film. The events depicted take us to the jungle of Vietnam back in the late 60’s when the United States was involved in a terrible was against the native people. The main character, Captain Willard, played by Martin Sheen, leads an expedition towards the core of the jungle where he was to find an American soldier who has gone mad, and kill him. During his journey through the forest, we are shown the violence and brutality of war. The American helicopters and guns facing the courage of thousands of Vietnamese. I am not going to tell you how it ends, but I can assure you it won’t let you down. However, you will soon notice the realism of the film and how it pulls you into it, making you part of it. The soundtrack is amazing and the whole cast

David García. Reds (San Diego)

gives an impressive performance as well under the lead of the master Coppola. The aim of the film is to show the pointlessness of wars and highlight the atmosphere which develops in them. People often go mad and lose consciousness of real life. If you want to know more, there is an extended version of the film called “Apocalypse Now Redux” which came out in 2001. The real inspiration for the plot is the novel “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad. I do not recommend this movie to people under fifteen years old because of the violent scenes. But if you are mature enough, and especially if you like history, go and see it! You won’t regret it for sure. In conclusion, this is one of the best movies I have ever seen. The special effects, the realism, the story and the meaning of the film are some of the things that turn thes movie into the best two hours you will ever spend watching TV.

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The lost thing

My lost Thing comes from a robot Factory. She is friendly but she looks a bit scary. She likes playing with a ball with anybody that she finds. She has four tentacles and two horns. She has a lot of Spikes. She escaped from a robot factory. People are scared of the lost thing.

Finola Griffin’s Reds at SEK

We had a series of classes using the graphic novelist Shaun Tan’s book The Lost Thing. There is also an Oscar-winning short animation film, which we used to accompany the book. Difference and belonging are key themes, and the children worked with the very rich language of the story to create their own lost things, some of whom added potted histories as to where their lost things had come from.

Lucía del Moral. Reds (SEK)

My lost thing comes from an old cave. He has a tail and in the tail he has tentacles, and in the tentacles he has four bells. Then, in the body he has spikes, and on his head he has whiskers. Finally, in his hair, he has horns.

Marta Domínguez. Reds (SEK)

My lost thing is called Supermaterials. It came from a metal factory. It has four eyes and two bells. It has eight tentacles for legs. It has also six fangs in its mouth, two wires and two horns. Its wires make its bells ring.

Carmen López. Reds (SEK)

My lost thing has horns and a door on his head. In his neck he has a bell and four fangs. And at the bottom he has eight buttons, a window with whiskers, two clowns, his tails and tentacles. He comes from the sea.

Elena Gómez. Reds (SEK)

68 Reviews

The best exotic marigold hotel Paula Sanz Senior 10

Two years ago, the director of the Oscar-winning Shakespeare in love, John Madden, released his new film. The movie could have been a huge success, due to his earlier works, but I’m afraid to say that it had few viewers, as I could confirm by myself because the only spectators in the cinema were my mother and me. However, I don’t understand this lack of interest, due to the fact that this film has one of the strongest and most positive messages that I have found in years.

Once you meet the characters, you get perfectly attached to them and you can easily identify with them and understand the difficulties that they, as elderlies, are having to get used to in their new lives. The hotel conditions and the problems that the owner never seems to be able to fix –despite his positive vision- don’t make things any easier. Nevertheless, you must not think this is a drama, the way they all learn to face their own adversity is intelligent and inspiring.

The story opens with a group of elderlies, each one with their own life, who, at first sight, don’t share any common interests; we find a widowed woman, a retired couple, an independent grandmother, a grumpy woman in need of a new hip. But there is of course something that will connect them: India. For various reasons, all of them will decide to begin a journey in order to fix something about their lives and will meet at the same old and half-demolished hotel: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, run by a visionary and hugely optimistic Indian boy. Soon, they will discover that this country has a lot more to offer them than they had ever thought.

This film could appeal to anybody: adults, teenagers, elderly people, at any time, but it could be especially suitable for people that aren’t at their best or they’re on a losing streak. It will surely cheer them up with the funny situations that are shown in the film and the hope that it spreads, to encourage everybody to carry on with their lives, because, as Sonny, the young hotel owner, says “Everything will be right in the end, so if it is not all right, it is not yet the end.”

Rabbit’s Wish, Marta Álvarez. Yellows

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The boy in the striped pyjamas by John Boyne (the book) Patricia Jiménez Senior 8

The boy in the striped pyjamas is an historical novel set in Germany during the Holocaust. This novel tells the story of Bruno and Shmuel, the main characters. Bruno’s father is a military man, one of the leaders of the German army. The family lives near the place where the Jews are prisoners, so Bruno meets a young Jewish child, Shmuel, and they start up a friendship. The novel focuses on the relationship between both children, and how, although their families are enemies, they become true friends. This novel contains a mixture of sentiments around the situation that each boy lives in. Their houses are very near, but their lives are completely different. They don’t know why their houses are separated by a fence, or why, on one side of the fence, everybody wears a striped pyjama. This novel helps the reader to understand how life inside a concentration camp was, and how, through the story of a friendship, the authority that the army had over the Jews. What impressed me was how the novel compares both routines. While the Jews are prisoners in the concentration camp, working hard, and most of them died there, the German army is controlling the outside, forcing Jews to leave their homes and obliging them to stay in the camps. Also fascinating was the friendship between the children. They are an example of how both are people and they have many similarities. If you enjoy historical novels, you should read this, because it is a great way to understand how the Holocaust developed. Also, it was written for young people and adult readers, too. One will be transported to the twentieth century, affected by the Second World War.

The princess of the desert Leire Monasterio Red (Claret)

My favourite book is called the princess of the desert. The author’s name is Ted Shilton. The story is about a desert. The character is called the Princess of the desert. I like it because it is very funny and exciting.

70 Reviews

The boy in the striped pyjamas by John Boyne (the film)

The futurological congress by Stanislaw Lem

César Palacios Senior 7

Jorge Librero Cano Senior 8

The film chosen for this week is a very soulful and also sad film. I am talking about the well-known movie, The boy in the striped pyjamas. I am sure all of you have seen this film and cried. This was first a novel by the Irish novelist John Boyne, published in 2006 and it was adapted in 2008 as a film.

Several months ago, while I was contemplating the stunning variety of books the bookstore I was in had, I stumbled across a novel which caught my attention. This particular book, was a sci-fi novel by the Polish writer, Stanislaw Lem, and given its brilliant plot and my tendency for this genre, I bought it right away.

This film follows a 9-year-old boy named Bruno growing up during World War II in Berlin, Germany. He belongs to a rich family and his father is an important Nazi commandant. Due to his father’s job, they have to move to an isolated mansion in the middle of nowhere. Bruno is very bored in his new house, with no friends, so he decides to explore the surroundings, where he discovers a camp enclosed by wire fences. As he walks along the fence, he meets a Jewish boy named Shmuel. They talk and become very good friends, although Bruno still does not understand very much about Shmuel and his side of the fence. In the film we have two main characters: Bruno and Shmuel. They are totally different but they become really good friends. They are dewy-eyed children who don’t understand anything at all about what is happening in the world. Another important character is Bruno’s father, Ralf, a Nazi commandant whose only goal in life is to serve Germany. Although the main characters are children, the film isn’t suitable for kids at all. Firstly, because it is very sad and horrible for them. It is also very difficult to understand because they may have no idea about World War II, Nazis and death camps. However, I think it is a very interesting film that perfectly reflects the society of the moment from a different viewpoint: an innocent child’s. That’s why I recommend this film to anybody interested in history, drama films and tender children’s tales.

Had I known of the existence of such a book, I would have bought it a long time ago, as I enjoyed every last bit of it. The reason why one of my favorite genres is science fiction is because there is quite a lot of philosophical reflection in the topics and subjects the novel talks about. This one was no exception. The story follows the main character, Ijon Tichy, who lives in a future where society relies on drugs (mainly chemical products), in order to escape the awful, overpopulated future they live in. This idea leads to the main question that comes to mind throughout the story: Is it better to live in a decadent but real society, or to escape this reality to another one that is perfect but artificial? This was why I enjoyed the book, because even though I read it quite a long time ago, it still makes me think about the reality we live in nowadays, in which we prefer to forget about our situation with distractions, rather than dealing with reality. My advice is, that if you like a novel which apparently seems easy, but ends up challenging your knowledge and perspective about the world, don’t hesitate to read this novel. You won’t regret it.

YearBook

Gone with the wind Silvia Martín Junior 4

This book is about a woman called Scarlett O’Hara who is very rich and has everything that she wants but she hasn’t got the love of her life, Ashley Wilkes. He got married to a cousin of Scarlett called Melanie. And then there is the man who really loves Scarlett, Rhett Butler. When Scarlett’s state was on the losing side of the American civil war, they had to pay a lot of taxes and Scarlett didn’t have enough to pay them. She also had to work very hard to hold on to her ranch, Tara. Rhett was in prison and Scarlett visited him a lot. Afterwards Scarlett married Frank, who she lied

Paula Contreras. Reds (San Diego)

to, telling him that his fiancée was going to marry another. But then Frank realized that everything was not true. Soon after he died and Scarlett’s father died also. Sometime later, Rhett was furious with Scarlett because he still loved Ashley more than anything. When Melanie is dying, Scarlett promises her that she would take care of her child and husband. At the end of the book Scarlett realises that she really loves Rhett and wants to stay with him. When she tells him he doesn’t believe her. She then returns to the one place she has always loved in her heart: Tara.

Malory Towers, Ana García. Reds (San Diego)

Teachers’ conference

Teachers’ conference (Photos by Antonio Heredia)

10 Teachers from Madrid Young Learners gave informative and practical sessions at the Teachers’ Educational Conference at the British Council Somos Aguas centre this year. Under the title “Creative ELT” 360 primary and secondary state school teachers from around Spain attended with another 2,000 viewing the You Tube channel since the event. The feedback on the sessions was all very positive with both participants and session givers very enthusiastic about how well the day had gone.

Louise Desmier's live-streamed session was on developing listening and writing skills.

Lesley Keast talked about how to help students speak more in classes.

Ali Smith gave practical drama techniques and activities that teachers could use in the EFL classroom.

Richard Panting's session was on warmers and coolers.

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Devin Unwin gave three sessions on songs in the ELT classroom, the European Language Portfolio and learning style theory

Ian Adkin's session was on promoting learner autonomy through assessment for learning.

Jan Byrne gave a session on cartoons in the classroom.

John Liddy gave his session on World Book Week at MYL.

Simon Harwood gave a session on how (and how not) to use technology in teaching.

Emma Berrocal and Louise Desmier spoke about developing learning strategies in the primary classroom.

What will be will be

Cristina AndrĂŠs. Junior 1

YearBook

2064

The plate that makes your toast

Alejandro García Fernández Junior 2 (Esclavas)

Inés Ludeña, María Patiño, Cristina Cordero Senior 4

In Madrid 2064 we will be fat because we will go everywhere in flying cars and we will never use our legs and our legs won’t work. We will be living like moles because we have never worried about global warming and there will be extreme temperatures and the earth will be about 70º C. We will leave the earth and it will be an enormous dump.

The plate that makes your toast is a new invention that makes your breakfast better than a toaster because you can see it if it burns and you can remove it. It works with a battery that you can charge at night for use in the morning. The battery will last a week if you make 10 toasts a day. It comes with jam and butter, and a knife starts putting jam and butter, on the toast. It costs $55. If you want you can buy bread for $2 more.

But I think that science will be very developed and if we recycle we can make the world a better place.

Floating houses Pedro Osma, Dani Marjaliza, India Garía Junior 1

I think in the future, houses will be floating in the air. In my opinion, food will be better and tastier. I think cars in the future will go faster and some will fly.

What will be will be

Houses of the future

The world in 2100

Alberto Aceldo Junior 1

Sara Casas Junior 3

The outside of the house I think in the future there will be flying houses and there won’t be keys. You will say words and the door will open. On the window of the house there will be a chute. On the roof there will be a solar panel. Cars are will fly and, next to the house, there will be a garage. From the house you can go to the garage.

I think the future will be fantastic. First of all, the clothes might be intelligent, for example, if the clothes think it’s raining they will become waterproof. All the clothes will have a control panel which will have a button for changing the colour and another one for the fabric and another one for when it’s warm or cool.

The interior of the house In the living room there will be a sofa. On the TV there will be holograms. In the kitchen there will be a fridge, a microwave which heats the food in one second and an oven. In the bedroom there will be a bed with wool, and a cupboard. In the bathroom the showers will be like giant bubbles of water.

Secondly, I think sports will change a lot. For example football will be played with a technological ball that detects the power of the impact of the foot, and depending on this, kicks the ball. The goal will have a robot instead of a goalkeeper. Thirdly, food won’t be like now. There will be pills, there might not be normal food. I think that if you eat one pill it will be equal to one meal or dinner. But I think that breakfast will be the same; milk, cereals, cookies. I think they won’t change. To sum up, the future might not be totally different but there will be a lot of modern things with technology in everything, with robots and a lot of innovative things.

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My dream city Manuela Pérez Yellows

I’m going to tell you about my dream city. It’s very interesting. My dream city has got a glass and ice palace and is in the centre of the city. We have 150 clothes shops, 30 restaurants, and 40 parks. Also, in Fashion Week, we have three fashion shows a week and, on Father’s Day, a big party in the theatre. Our fountains are very, very, very big, with a dolphin in the centre. I love the centre fountain because at ten o’clock the fountain makes beautiful animals with water of different colours! I’ve told you about my dream city. I hope you like it. Thank you!

Transport in the future Alba Montero Junior 3

Today we use different means of transport to move from place to place. In the future types of transport will change. I think cars will fly in the future. There won’t be any petrol that comes from a non-renewable source. The cars will be electric because they pollute less. The cars will be automatic. They will have a computer where you will key in the place where you want to go and the vehicle will automatically take you there.

There will be planes that fly through space and we will stay on the moon for our holidays. In the future bicycles won’t have pedals because they will be electric so people won’t do exercise and they will put on weight. Trains might reach a speed of 500 km per hour. To sum up I think there will be fewer means of transport and they will all become automatic.

What will be will be

Schools in the future

My future classroom

Jimena Santos Junior 3

Patricia Queipo de Llano Junior 2

Today we use schools for learning about things like mathematics and computers. I believe that in the future schools will use iPads instead of books or notebooks.

I think my future classroom will probably look like a circle. In my future classroom we will use headphones for the lessons and iPads for all the subjects. Chairs will move on tracks around the class. Desks might move up and down when you want to write better. We will definitely have a robot teacher so no one will have to be in the class watching and taking care of us. The windows of my future classroom will probably be triangular with dark glasses so the sun won’t bother us. My future classroom will definitely have the walls, the floor and the ceiling painted very dark colours like gray, black, dark blue and maybe a very dark green. The door will definitely move automatically when someone comes into my future classroom.

First of all books are very important because we use them to learn. In the future we are going to use iPads. They are better but at the same time worse because our eyes are going to get worse. Secondly, I think that in the future schools will have robot teachers instead of people and there are going to be bowling alleys, amusement parks and a zoo in all schools. To sum up, I think that schools are going to be very different and I think that is good.

The future Javier González Junior 2 (Esclavas)

People will make eco-fighters because the robots are going to try to control the world in 2039. Eco-fighters are half men, half machine. In 2040 people will live underground because global warming will make the surface of the earth like a super-desert; 100ºc during the day and -100º at night. All the water will be in space because there won’t be any atmosphere to protect us from the sun. There won’t be enough water for all the people so the underground continents will fight to get the water. The food won’t be the same as now, it will be strange because ways of growing it will be different. There will not be enough space for everybody so people will kill each other to get more. My vision of the future is everybody will die, so I’m pessimistic.

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Madrid 2064 Daniel SuĂĄrez Junior 2 (Esclavas)

I think that Madrid will be worse because global warming will change the sea level and the people of other regions will travel to Madrid. Madrid will be poor because all the people who come from the coast wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have houses. In schools children will use helmets that transmit all the information that they need to learn. There will be more than one language and it will be very confusing. There will be better medicine for sick people.

Victor Loboff. Junior 1

80 Free time is on my side

Free time is on my side

Jungle race - Rodrigo Alba de Miguel, Sandra Cordero, Adela GarcĂa. Senior 6

YearBook

Exercise at school Elena Villanueva Senior 4

Do you like PE? Yes of course I like it. I always want to do PE, but unfortunately at the moment I can’t because I have an accessory bone and it is very painful. (The truth is I’ve got two, one in each foot). But next Tuesday I’m going to start doing exercise and I’m very happy. What exercise do you do at school? Well, you know that in my school we do a lot of sport and we do two hours of PE every day except one day that we only do one hour. It can be two hours at different times or together. We can do football, basketball, handball, baseball, volleyball, dodgeball, hockey, racquet ball, acrobatic jumps, and many more depending on the day, the weather or soil type we have. What do you like about it? I like almost everything. I think it’s very healthy and

After school club Bruno Esteve Reds (Claret)

Last Thursday I went to the after school club at my school, Claret. I went with my friends Luis, Martín, Marcos, Luca, Carlos, Diego, Jaime and Iván. At the club we played chess and football and did English. It was really fun and exciting. The club started at three o’clock and finished at five o’clock. My favourite activity was chess.

it helps you to get fit or stronger, and it also makes you not worry if you’re fat, on the contrary, at least me, I’ve got to worry about gaining a little more weight. What don’t you like about it? Some of the things I don’t like are when we have to do PE in winter and I wish to get through those classes because it’s very cold and we have to wear shorts and short-sleeved shirts. But other times it’s the opposite, in summer it’s too hot to start doing sport. And when we don’t behave well the teacher makes us run. One day a week we have to run more or less 12 minutes and then we play depending on the teacher. Do you think it’s important to do PE at school? I think yes, yes it is important because you get fit, stronger, flexible. And especially because it is very healthy.

Free time is on my side

Ice tennis

After school activities

Carlos Pablo, Nicolás Pérez and Luis Sagastibeiza Senior 6

Claudia Velasco Reds (Claret)

Our new sport is called ice tennis. It’s a combination of tennis and ice hockey. A match of ice tennis is not determined by time, it depends on how much time it takes a player to win two sets. It’s usually between two and three hours. The match is judged by a judge who sits on a high chair to see the whole ice rink.

Last Monday I went to the After School Club at my school, Claret Primary School. I went with my friends Marta and Sara. At the club we played tennis and we danced. It was really fun. The club started at two o’clock and finished at three o’clock. My favourite activity was dancing. I didn’t like football.

It is played in an ice rink indoors because ice needs a certain temperature and it can be played indoors even if it is raining. Players must be over the age of eighteen as it is dangerous for children and opponents must be of the same sex. They should have the ability to play tennis, to be strong and know how to use skates. The winner is the player who scores most points following the rules of tennis, so the player who wins two of three sets wins and you need to score six games to win a set. There are some things that are forbidden like jumping with the ice skates because you can hurt someone. Like in all sports, it’s forbidden to insult the opponent or the judge and the most important rule to be respectful and sporting. Special equipment is a helmet, a racket, ice skates, and of course a ball.

My Favourite Sport Juan Ramón Montoya Junior 2

My favourite sport is football. It is a fantastic sport and a game for all ages. It consists of eleven players who have to score in the goal of the opposite team. I like it because I love playing. I play every day if I can. I am not very good but I try my best and have fun. I play with my friends and my team “the Ciringanillos”. I watch football matches if I don’t have anything to study. My favourite team is Real Madrid, the best team, in my opinion. My favourite player and the fastest at Real Madrid is Gareth Bale.

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Giovanna. 3 Junior

The penalty Nacho Asenjo Senior 10

I’ve played football since I was six years old and it’s said that team activities may have a very important influence on your personality as you experience tons of indelible memories with your teammates. The feeling of scoring a goal and celebrating with your teammates is unbelievable. Sometimes when the goal is scored, this feeling increases exponentially and you realise that there is a deep and intimate connection between you and your mates. This however is not my experience. I’m a goalkeeper. The only thing lonelier than me on the field is the corner flag. I celebrate alone, I suffer alone and I cry alone. The team only celebrates

with me when I win the eleven-metre duel: the penalty. And this is what my memory is about. Three years ago we were struggling for the league trophy against our rival team. If we drew or lost we wouldn’t win the title. We were winning 2-1. When there were only 5 minutes remaining we conceded a penalty. All eyes were on me. When the striker took his shot I instinctively jumped to the left blocking the penalty. All the team cheered me and 5 minutes later when the match ended, everything went mental. Actually it was a bittersweet memory because I injured my arm when saving the penalty but it didn’t matter at all.

Free time is on my side

New musical instruments project Alison Myles

My Junior 1 class in Esclavas had been really eager to do another project, and as we were on the topic of music and instruments, we all came up with the idea of inventing a new instrument! They all gave their instrument a name, described how it is played and what it is made of, and they even made a plasticine model of their instrument! It was a fun, imaginative few days for all.

Violín - Diego Sánchez and Iñigo Molina. Junior 1 (Esclavas)

Prinsong Blanca García Fernández & Marina Apezteguia Junior 1 (Esclavas)

Prinsong is an instrument in which you put the paper in a hole and you put a bracelet on your wrist. You think of the notes and it prints the score and plays it. The prinsong has a lot of colours. It is beautiful!

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Melody Harp

Gainol

Inés Tromp and Leticia Júarez Junior 1 (Esclavas)

Ana Jiménez & Sofía Álvarez Junior 1 (Esclavas)

Our instrument is called a Melody Harp. The melody harp has got hoops, pedals and pads made of metal and wood. The harp is made of metal and the recorder is made of wood and the strings are made of nylon. If you push the pedal it stimulates the pads. You play the harp with the hands and the recorder with the feet and mouth (the model is in miniature).

It’s composed of a guitar and a piano. The neck is from a guitar and the body and keys are from a piano. The gainol is a difficult instrument to play, but it’s great to play. You hold it like a guitar and put one hand on the keys of the neck and the other hand on the strings. The chords are played on the strings and the melody on the rest of the body and other parts. The notes are: do, don, re, res, mi, mis, fa, far, sol, sun, la, lol, si, san

Free time is on my side

Don’t give up Miguel García Senior 8

Writing Circle

Once upon a time there was a boy named George who played basketball for the school team with some friends. Maybe he wasn’t the best, but he put so much energy in it that everybody acclaimed him. His teammates and his coaches really appreciated his effort.

Adrián Rodríguez, Paula Álvarez, Teresa Hidalgo. Junior 1

When he was twelve, a tumor was discovered in his brain after some medical tests because he had suddenly passed out one day at school. He tried to settle down when he noticed, however, there was too much pressure on him. The operation went well and his family and closest friends really supported him. Although he didn’t feel sick at all, rehab was going to take a lot of time. It was hard to believe for him, but he had to give up basketball and some other activities for a while. Later, when the doctor told him that his head would never be the same and that he had to avoid every risky activity, he burst into tears. Then he spent two months totally depressed, he could no longer play cool sports again. As he usually felt tired, he decided to take up chess. A relaxing game, all about your mind, not bad at all, he thought. After a couple of years taking lessons from an experienced coach, he took part in his first tournament and managed to end up in third place! Regarded worldwide as a young talent, experts gave advice and guided him towards the top. Later on, he became the youngest man ever to win the Chess World Championship. He also earned a lot of money and fame due to publicity and, most importantly, he kept in touch with his old friends and relatives. No one would ever say that he was tempted to give up everything. This one is an example of how we can turn our misfortunes into triumphs and success.

Lucía Bautista, María Pastor. Junior 1 (Esclavas)

YearBook

Labyrinth quiz Silvia González Rozas, Lidia Ortega, Andrea Rodríguez Bragado, Victoria Inda Junior 4

If you’ve got a natural talent, come to “Labyrinth Quiz”, a talent show for teenagers from 13 – 18 years old. In this talent show you will test your abilities in all subjects. You will go through a labyrinth quiz. In every part of the labyrinth you must pass some tests in different subjects: music, sports, art, design, cooking, and you must answer different questions. If you pass the test, you can continue but if you fail you must stay there waiting for the next day. The less time you are there, the more money you win. 20 teens start. At the beginning there are four little labyrinths and another four big labyrinths. In the big labyrinths 3 teens start and 2 teens start in the little ones. To enter in the circle labyrinth they need to catch a train. To win you must pass another trail, but only three can pass. You need to answer a question on each subject. In this quiz you can be the winner! We are waiting for you to come and have fun. Remember, the next audition is the 28th of May of next year. If you want to come, call…

The incredibles Angela Bueno, Nuria Moreno, Laura García Balsa, Laura Benito Junior 4

It’s a talent show that is divided into six competitions, where you have to compete with the other candidates. The judges will be singers, actors, and other famous people. To participate you have to do an interview about your natural talent, with the presenter in charge. There will be a studio audience. If your talent requires broad and complicated moves, for example skating, we have a track outside, so you can do it without any problem, but you have to bring your equipment. If you only need a piano or drums we already have them here. Your different natural talents could be: the best cook or the most intelligent person in the world. You can be one of the finalists and win amazing prizes, like a cruise, prize money, a car, or the chance to meet a celebrity. You will probably get a lot of media attention. If you have a natural talent, come here!

88 Around the world

Around the world A village in China

What to do in Madrid

Ana Jiang Senior 3

Gonzalo García Senior 8

One of my favourite places is a small part of China. It’s a village situated in the east of the country. Near to the village there are many high mountains covered in different kinds of trees, flowers and animals. That’s the part of the village which I like the best. Those mountains are one of the most famous places in China.

Hi Chris!

This place is always noisy, because there are many people travelling there, especially in summer. There is an idyllic place to relax and see beautiful views. The weather is very good compared to the capital (the maximum is 35° and the minimum -8°). The main reason that the mountain and the forest are my favourite places is that I can feel good and breathe air without pollution. I also love the tea from there. This tea has a very special smell and natural taste. The last time I was there was two years ago, and it was lovely.

Are you seriously coming to Madrid? That’s great! I didn’t know you weren’t working with your father any more. What a change! From the book store to travelling on business! You’re a lucky one. Actually, I realise I haven’t asked you, what is your current job? You know I don’t really hang around that much, but I still know some great places to go. It’s gonna be amazing! If you want to listen to good music we can go to a café called “Café Central”. Also, I’ve got some tickets to that Spanish group I love, remember I told you? Well, we could go together. I don’t really think you like museums that much but there’s a couple you can’t miss if you come to Madrid. I will oblige you! Also, I will take you to some great tapas bars so you can see what real food taste like and not that crap you eat in England. You ask: why do all those thing? Well, there are lots of reasons but I won’t bore you with statistics and stuff. They are just great! Don’t you trust your friend? I’m living in a bigger apartment now, so you can stay at my place if you want. But seeing how great you say your new job is, they will probably pay for your accommodation, won’t they? Well I’m really looking forward to your visit! I hope I can visit your town soon too! Greetings to your family! Gon

YearBook

Oña Elena Sáiz Senior 3

My favourite place to spend the summer holidays is Oña. It’s 320 miles from Madrid. Oña is a small village in the province of Burgos between Cantabria and Vizcaya. It’s surrounded by large rocky mountains with abundant pine trees and crossed by the river Oca. In the morning you wake up to the songs of birds. This place is ideal for summer because the temperature is very pleasant, warm and sunny during the day and chilly at night. There are good country paths for bike riding and hiking in the mountains. Finally the food is delicious. Good meat (steak and lamb), fruit and fresh fish from the Cantabrian Sea. Carmen Muller. Pinks (Esclavas)

Luis García Granados. Pinks (Esclavas)

Celia Pérez. Pinks (Esclavas)

Around the world

The three best destinations in Madrid Sara L. Moncayola Senior 6

The Madrid region is one of the 17 autonomous regions in Spain and is situated in the Geographical centre of the country. It is also the capital. Madrid offers numerous cultural, gastronomic, business, leisure and entertainment options. Some of them are the following:

What I do in Charlotte’s town Carlota Díaz Yellows (Blanca de Castilla)

In the morning I go to the bakery to buy some cupcakes. In the afternoon I go to the fruit shop (to work). When I finish my work I go to Tony Roma’s and finally I go to my house to sleep.

The Prado Museum This museum is one of the most important in the world and the most visited in the capital. It has paintings by remarkable artists such as Velazquez, El Greco, Goya, Reubens and others. It is located in the centre of the city, next to the Retiro park. Most people take the bus or the underground to get there. The Royal Palace It is the official residence of the Spanish Royal family, but they prefer to live in the Zarzuela Palace. Because of that this building is only used for state ceremonies and different types of acts. It is next to the Sabatini gardens and the views are marvellous. The Town Hall It is the institution in charge of governing the city. It is situated at the end of the Castellana Avenue and behind the Cibeles Statue. The town hall has an extraordinary terrace in which you can have a drink while you admire the beauty of the capital. Lucas Santos. Pinks

YearBook

No one needs to be rich to visit Madrid Tomás Melendro Senior 6

First of all, tourists do not need buses or the metro at all. One has the chance to walk around Madrid or imitate the pedestrians by taking a rental or free City Hall bicycle in order to visit the city. There is a bicycle point in each of the districts, so it is not difficult to find them. Secondly, the tourists have the possibility of choosing one restaurant among hundreds. There are many restaurants where one can have a nice, free traditional meal. For instance, there is a restaurant called “Terramundi”, near the Jesús de Medinaceli Church, where one can eat after visiting the cathedral. Lastly, to save money and enjoy the culture at the same time, there are many museums with free galleries. The highlight of Madrid is the Prado museum, free for people 18 years old or younger, and with cheap fees for the rest. In conclusion, Madrid is not as expensive as one could think, so one can visit Madrid by taking advantage of the low-cost, interesting places which exist.

New York City Germán García Senior 6

New York City… The Big Apple for Budget Travellers New York is one of the costliest cities in the world. However, you can visit the city without spending too much money. First of all, there are so many places where one can go for free. In general, they are outdoor places, such as parks or botanical gardens, like the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. In contrast, there are buildings or huge monuments, like the Alice Austen House Museum. In addition to this, you will save money and will enjoy some culture. Secondly, New York transport is expensive, especially if you take a taxi. So, the first day you arrive to the city, try to buy a weekly bus ticket, so you will save a large quantity of money. However, the best way to see the city is to walk. Our final idea to save money is to eat in cheap places. On the one hand, one can buy some cheap sandwiches. Everybody eats them in the city parks, which are free to enter. On the other hand, one can go to fast-food restaurants, but I really don’t recommend this as it is not very healthy.

Miguel de Pablo. Pinks

To sum up, New York is not a very expensive city. One can visit without spending a lot of money if you plan your trip carefully.

Around the world

Our dream house

Polvoranca Park

Paula Martínez, Luis Martín, Sofía Grano de Oro Junior 5 (Claret)

Sara Esteve Senior 3

This house is a rural house situated in the North of Italy, near a huge lake. It’s a holiday home, so it’s usually occupied in summer when you can swim in the lake or walk in the countryside, and in winter when you can go skiing in the Alps, the famous mountains situated near the house. There you can see the soft, white and powdery snow and enjoy playing in it.

One of my favourite places is a few metres from where I live in Spain. It is called “Parque Polvoranca” and it is a big park situated in Leganés in the east of Madrid. It is covered in forest and also there is a big lake. On the lake there are ducks and swans. Surrounding the lake there are tall trees stretching up to the sky and also a cycleway where you can ride a bike with views of the lake and nature. The park is 150 metres squared and has football pitches, children’s parks and places to eat.

The house is modern and minimalist. It’s spacious and comfortable and, more importantly, it has its own style. It has an amazing swimming pool in the extensive gardens that surround the house. The house has two floors. The first one has two rooms and an open-air cinema. The first room you see when you enter the house is the kitchen, which has a long blue table and some modern cabinets for crockery. Next to the kitchen there is a dining room where you’ll find a piano, a table and some chairs to be among family. The dining room is connected to the cinema, so you can see a film while you are having dinner. The cinema has a gigantic plasma

screen and some pouffes to sit down on and have a great time watching the film. Next to the swimming pool there are floating stairs to go up to the second floor, which has also got two rooms. One of them is a bedroom with two hanging beds and the other one is a small living room with a stylish couch, from which you can see the stars because the ceiling is an incredible glass roof!

Personally I think that “Parque Polvoranca” is a fantastic place to relax and for doing sport and having a good time. It is near my house so I go there often. There I can listen to the trees, the animals and the sounds of the lake. You can lie down on the grass and have a very nice sleep. I am sure “Parque Polvoranca” makes a good impression on everyone. It is an idyllic place.

YearBook

Bottle tops for a new life Last July, students on the summer course at Madrid Young Learners took part in “Bottle Tops for a New Life”, a project organised by the SEUR Foundation which involves collecting plastic bottle tops to raise money to help children with severe health problems whose families cannot afford the treatment they need. Our popular nurse Iciar Escondrillas organized the activity here and commented “It was a very rewarding experience to see the enthusiasm of the students; every Monday they brought bags full of bottle tops from their homes, their neighbourhoods and their parent’s workplaces, all in order to show their solidarity with other kids.” Iciar too showed her solidarity as 3 times a week she cycled across Madrid in temperatures of up to 35º C with sacks of bottle tops tied to her bike in order to drop them off at the SEUR foundation! 26 classes competed to see which group could collect the most bottle tops. More than 22,000 were collected altogether, with the winning Junior 3 class providing 3,500 tops. The winners, who showed great enthusiasm for collecting, were awarded a letter of thanks from SEUR and a prize from Madrid Young Learners. Students enjoyed the challenge and learned about solidarity and climate change as recycling plastic bottle tops reduces both CO2 emissions and the amount of rubbish that ends up in landfill.

Some of the twenty two thousand bottle tops collected.

Fátima and Amy’s junior 3 the proud winners

94 Around the world

Culture Week

Fashion Show. Helen Roebuck’s class enjoy the Culture Week

Begoña Pérez. Yellows at the Fashion Show

Helen Roebuck´s Yellows all dressed up for the Fashion Show

Alejandra Sánchez. Yellows with her amazing Thor outfit in the Fashion Show

YearBook

Robin Hood by Martin Goosey Teachers Elena Pérez and Louise Desmier had this to say about Martin’s session “I think the session was a very positive experience for my class and it was great to see even the naughty students getting involved and speaking lots of English. All of them were really excited when they went to meet their parents afterwards so I think it created a very positive impression! Thanks for organising it!” “My Tigers group loved it and were all involved in the session. They made a big effort to use English and were very happy and keen to take part. I think we should have more sessions like this for Primary.”

Robin Hood was vividly brought to life for Tigers students by Martin Goosey

Once upon a time Reds students had this to say about Lesley’s session: 1. Because it’s very exciting and the dragon is very beautiful. 2. I like the story as it changes the Princess for the Dragon. The princess is nutty and the dragon is beautiful. 3. I like the story as it’s interesting. 4. I love the lesson and the story. Thank you!

Once upon a time Lesley Keast giving her session

Culture Week

Soundtracks: Alison Myles

North American Indians Diana Beeson

Junior 5 students reactions to Alison’s session: 1. I thought that the session was really educational for us, and it was amazing when she played the flute. I really enjoyed the different activities that we did. I want to repeat it more times. I’m really pleased about this. Thank you very much. 2. T he session was a good distraction apart from classes, although I didn’t like the fact that we couldn’t go to break with other people. It was different, I mean, so creative, and that’s good because no one expected it. The session was fun and I think we all had a great time with people of other classes. 3. I t was awesome, I liked it so much, I like the music so the activity was very nice. The teacher plays the flute very well and the songs that she played was very nice so I liked the activity and I think that it is better to do this type of activity that to do learning things in our class.

Junior 4 students at teacher Diane Beeson’s session on North American Indians had this to say: “It was really good this cultural session. At my school, the sessions are the same everyyear, but with this I’ve learnt how to make a teepee, how Indians decorated themselves for rituals and lots about tribes like Oglala, Comanche and Apache. The only bad thing is that I’d like to learn more about the rituals and mythology of the Great Plains Indians. I think the session was fun, and the best was the typical food that we had from the American Indians.”

4. I t was very enjoyable, funny and interesting. I liked it because I love music. I think it was funnier the part of the musicals than the pink panther. I was amazed, because the teacher plays the flute very well and it was more amazing because it’s a difficult instrument.

North American Indian influences on English, Diane Beeson giving her session

YearBook

The Children of Lir by James Duggan Junior 2 students on James’ session: The activity was of interest and funny. Also the speaker was very good and the story was good. I liked all the activity. I liked the story of “The Children of Lir”. It’s an interesting story. I liked the way the man told it. It was a very good day.

King Arthur a talk by Paul Sire

I liked it because it is funny and interesting. I didn’t understand some words and expressions but I understood the main idea. I would like to go again to the library and listen to another legend. I had a great time, but I don’t like that we had homework, he is very funny. Stuart and Lindsey sharing Scotish culture with students.

The Story of the Spanish Guitar John Wirnsberger

The children of lir was live-streamed into Alan Finch’s Junior 2

Susanne Ansty’s Senior 7 listen attentively to Johnatan Mellor’s session Power corrupts

Culture Week

Work inspired by Jonathan Mellor's talk Heroes and Dragons Senior 8 student’s opinion of Jonathan Mellor’s “Heroes and Dragons” “I was really impressed, maybe even shocked. I’m not used to seeing a man dressed up that way and shouting strange words in my English class! But I have enjoyed it because it’s something funny that keeps your mind always (just for a few minutes) from all the pressure of studying and all that stuff!”

found it very interesting as I didn’t know about the history of English and it also helped me understand the importance of the poem “Beowulf”. I am glad that there are activities being organised in the British Council because and I would like that they keep doing this type of cultural activities.”

“It was really great and the man spoke really well in ancient English. The history of Beowulf is very interesting and I think it’s very practical to know all this things. You should raise his salary!” “When the man appeared, he scared me because he suddenly started shouting and speaking in another language! I liked the story and I think it was a really good idea.” “I liked so much because of the passion which Jonathan puts in his act, making the students to participate in a funny way.”

Katalin watches rapt at Jonathan’s performance.

“It has been great because it has broken the routine of the classes and exams. It’s interesting how the languages develop and change. He did a great job with the reading of the poem and the fact that he was dressed up with a costume made it more real and funny.” “It was a great surprise. I thought it was a good way to make something special in class. I personally

Carol’s class enjoying Heros and Dragons

YearBook

Response to Beowulf

The story behind the tune

Francisco Terrón Senior 8

Senior 7 and 8 students had this to say about this session: The poem we read didn’t make sense to me at first sight, but reading it twice, I understood some parts of it. The poem is about legends and heroes of Anglo-Saxon history, and this document is the first one written in English. This is one of the first rhythmical texts I’ve had in my hands and the way it has been composed seems strange. Jonathan, the man who came to the classroom, started to talk to us in a language we couldn’t understand. I thought it was from a Nordic country. It surprised me when he told us it was ancient English! It sounded like a mix of German, Russian and Norwegian. And then we found some German words, as well as some phonetic symbols which were used in the poem as letters.

Origins of English, Paula Díaz. Senior 8

The session by Chris Dove was amazing! I didn’t know anything about Irish culture. He talked about myths, legends and giants. It lasted one hour and now I know everything about it. He expressed himself very clearly. He plays the flute extremely well! It a really educational activity! I hope we do it again! Today I’ve learned about the history of Irish music. I was impressed about all the magical creatures. I fell like it was in a fairy world. I really enjoyable the music that they played and the dance was very lively. It was really enjoyable the music that they played and the dance was very lively. It was really something special. Irish music is special; I didn’t expect it to be that lively and exuberant. I really enjoyed listening to the videos and especially to Chris Dove and John Liddy. They create a joyful atmosphere; the whole session was educational, specially the fairy one. I would love to do another one about another culture. I really think that this class was great. It’s another type of class, a funny class, a different one. Thanks to Chris I’ve learned many things about Irish people, culture and music. Irish people are weird, but they are so welcoming, friendly and lively, so they all made the class so special. Their culture is also weird, but their stories are imaginative, mysterious and haunting. Their music also is haunting, evocative, joyful and very repetitive.

Derek Giles, John Liddy and Chris Dove

100 Meet The New Teachers

Meet The New Teachers

Marianne Reilly

Ursula Coulter

Katalin Csuba

Marianne Reilly is from Glasgow in Scotland and has only been in Madrid since January. She is a wonderful cook and if she weren’t a teacher she would love to be a chef and she even fancies her chances on MasterChef. It wouldn’t be the first time she was on TV in a culinary capacity however, as a 13 year old she was in an advert for tea bags! Although she describes herself as forgetful, she will always remember her surfing holiday in Tofino (Canada) with her sister.

Ursula Coulter hails from Leeds in England and has taught French in the UK and has also worked in The British Council in Hong Kong. Bubbly and enthusiastic, Ursula has always wanted to be an actress and she can do different accents from around the world. She once spent 6 months travelling around Australia and New Zealand where no doubt she got plenty of opportunity to do what she loves most on a sunny day, lie on a beach with a great book and a cocktail!

A happy and enthusiastic art lover, Kat (originally from Hungary) cooks the best Hungarian strudel that anyone has ever tasted. She has been in Madrid since September, having previously taught in Hungary and Switzerland. If she wasn’t a teacher she would be an actress as she used to perform in theatres and even had her own TV programme. On a sunny day she loves to go climbing. She once fearlessly backpacked across Turkey for two months.

YearBook

Enda O’ Donnell

Katie Dunbar

David McEvoy

Enda O’Donnell is from Limerick in Ireland. He has lived in Madrid for three years and in that time has learnt how to make a wonderful Spanish omelette. On a sunny day he loves to just relax on a beach and he was able to do this for 5 full weeks on a recent holiday to Australia. If he wasn’t a teacher he’d be a psychiatrist.

Katie is from Scotland and, although she has lived in Madrid for about six years, she has travelled widely and has taught as far afield as Italy, Argentina, Vietnam and Dubai. With all that experience maybe one day her dream of being a fulltime travel writer will come true. Katie can cook a very fine quiche and likes nothing better on a sunny day than to meet up with her friends in the park for a picnic. Even though her biggest fear is the gap between the platform and the train in the underground, she once appeared in a Michael Jackson flashmob in Nuevos Ministerios underground station!

David is from the picturesque town of Ashbourne in County Meath, Ireland. He has previously taught in Australia, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates and has only been in Madrid for a year and a half. The best holiday he has ever had was in Thailand where he certainly didn’t learn to make fajitas, which are his speciality in the kitchen.

101

102 Meet The New Teachers

Amanda Hawthorne Originally from Kent, the garden of England, Amanda has lived in Egypt and spent Christmas in Thailand, where she enjoyed the hot weather and delicious food. Although she likes to relax on her roof terrace with a good book, she also likes danger; she says she would like to be a stuntwoman! She’s already been in the spotlight: She led out the team from Vanuatu at the London 2012 Olympics.

Roslin Herbert

Julia Flood

Roslin “Roz” Herbert is from London, England and if he weren’t a teacher he’d be a surgeon, like his childhood heroes. He considers himself to be a fortunate person and believes that his biggest fear is fear itself. A family man, he likes nothing better on a sunny day to go for a picnic with his family, though he wouldn’t cook the food as he only cooks when strictly necessary.

Julia comes from Montreal in Canada. She has only been in Madrid since January and so on sunny days she enjoys walking around and discovering Madrid and watching city life pass by from the terrazas. She previously taught in Barcelona, and if she wasn’t a teacher she’d be a fortune teller. She won’t be cooking up the traditional Canadian poutine as her culinary talents are confined to what can be heated up in a microwave!

YearBook

Shopping Jo Kay’s Tigers at SEK played a shopping game. The students took it turns to be the shopkeeper or the customer. Everyone started out with 20 euros, the customers each had a shopping list and shopkeepers were free to charge whatever they wanted for their produce. Some students made quite a profit!

Gabriel González and Natalia Gómez striking a deal

Alvaro Cuesta and Miguel González enjoying shopping

Cloe Raymúndez and David de la Fuente thinking about what to buy and sell

Miguel González and Pablo Quevedo buying and selling

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104 YearBook

Folder competition winners

Pablo Hernández Vasconcellos received his prize for Lesley Keast

Pablo Hernández Vasconcellos. Senior

David Fuente Hidalgo. Primary

David Fuente. Junior 1 (Sagrados Corazones) who won the primary prize is pictured here with Alison Myles.

Mencía Martín Miguel. Junior

Mencía Martín received her prize (at Halloween) from Louise Desmier.

Editor and Coordinator David Kavanagh

SCHOOL PORTAL The school has a web portal where you can see your reports online and access lots of extra

BRITISH COUNCIL WEB SITES AND RESOURCES Learn English

Assistant Editor

materials to help you in your English studies.

Simon Harwood

These include:

• Network English

Photographs

• Network English Junior

Roberto García, Sonia Contreras, Cristina Sánchez, Gabriela

• The OE Suite of self-study materials

Saez, Simon Harwood, David Kavanagh and offsite coordinators

Learn English Kids

• Activity wall

and teachers.

http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org

• Learning tools

Activities, games and lots of fun for younger

• Learner diary

learners.

Design

Lots of activities, games and language practice to help you in your English studies.

• Online writing tools

www.baetica.net Printing

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org

Learn English Teens To log into the portal, go this address:

http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org

http://spainportal.britishcouncil.es

The web site for teenagers with lots

Taller Imagen

interesting learning materials to help you Your username is your student number. New

Contacts

students receive their password by email to

david.kavanagh@britishcouncil.es

their parents’ email address; existing students

simon.harwoodyl@britishcouncil.es

can ask your teacher to change your password if you have forgotten it.

Acknowledgements

Parents log in using their email address as their

practise your English.

YearBook NUMBER 14 MADRID YOUNG LEARNERS 2014/2015

NUMBER 14

MADRID YOUNG LEARNERS

Madrid – Young Learners Pº General Martínez Campos, 31 28010 Madrid T 91 337 35 93 F 91 337 36 00 madrid.younglearners@britishcouncil.es

www.britishcouncil.es

2014/2015 www.britishcouncil.es