January 2012
CC .EN A Cl uster Connecting Classrooms (CC)
Volume 1, Edition 1, English version
Presentation The Connecting Classrooms is
same schools will meet in Tibães,
a project promoted by the British
in an event organized by Escola
Council with the Portuguese support of the Education Bureau
EB2,3 de Mosteiro e Cávado to celebrate Multiculturalism.
through the General Directorate
In June we will try to pro-
of Innovation and Curriculum Development, and the Portuguese Youth Institute, involving
Young leaders training— October, © Cristina Santos
twenty schools from European countries. This partnership began
goal of having an important visi-
in 2010/2011.
bility at school and in the Portu-
The Portuguese partnership has been developed with three European TwinSpace >>>>>
Contents:
countries:
Greece,
Czech Republic and the United Kingdom. There are two main
30 January
2 2
CC Hymn
4 5
International Day of Disabled People
5
News from Czech Republic
7
A caring school
7
Math, Yes you can
8
the importance of tolerance, mutual respect, solidarity and respect for human rights.
Cluster) and another in the south
tions will take place on thirtieth
(OI Cluster).
January- Connecting Classrooms
a curriculum context and it is ing to the group work between partners through the use of vir-
Connecting cultures
sitize the most people possible to
Having this in mind, three ac-
about the inclusion issue, appeal-
Open CC Day
guese society, so that it can sen-
clusters: one in the north (ENA
The CC has been developed in th
mote a sports event, in Braga,
Day; on sixteenth March – Multiculturalism ―My world is as big as
participation, with the aim of raising funds for a Solidarity Institution, the APPACDM. The CC wants to stir people’s consciousness and appeal to the importance of the solidarity value. Let us wish that many students from the ENA cluster arouse before the positive stir of consciousnesses and lead their lives by the solidarity, tolerance, and inclusion values and respect for the Human Rights.
what I know‖; and on eighth June
This is the first number of a bi-
– ―We want to help!‖ (fund rais-
monthly Newsletter that wishes
ing campaign for the APPACDM).
to promote some actions that
tual spaces provided by the Inter-
On thirtieth January 2012,
net. This year many actions will
ENA cluster schools will dedicate
take place in each school. How-
the day to the promotion of the
ever, some will occur simultane-
project and will join the School
ously, at the Portuguese schools
Day of Non-Violence and Peace.
from the ENA cluster with the
that will count on the population
have taken place or will take place in a near future at ENA cluster schools. We will be open to the sending of suggestions by email (espl.connecting@gmail.com).
On sixteenth March, the
Teresa Lacerda
The School Day of Non-violence and Peace The School Day of Nonviolence and Peace has been celebrated worldwide since 1964 on January 30 and aims at calling attention for
the importance of a lifelong education for non-violence and peace. This year, the Portuguese schools from the ENA
cluster
have decided to celebrate this day together with the schools of their partnership (Greece, Republic Czech and London). [cont. page 2, 3]
Page 2
C C . ENA C lus te r The School Day of Non-violence and Peace / open CC day ... … at Escola Secundária Dr. Joaquim Gomes Ferreira Alves ... To
Exhibition room >>>>>
start
the
opening
day
symbolizing peace and hope. We
‖Impressões‖ promoted by stu-
―Connecting Classrooms‖, stu-
will also launch white balloons
dents from the 12th grade of
dents will sing and play a version
with messages inside referring to
―Humanidades‖.
of the song ―Imagine‖ from John
peace, inclusion and cultural di-
from ―Turismo‖ will make the
Lennon along with a choir of
versity in several languages and
protocol of the day. We will
students from the 8th grades.
with an email address for even-
build a mural with the sentences
tual answers.
sent in the balloons and others
The school activities will stop for
The
students
to be completed.
about 25 minutes so that all the
Throughout the morning, images
school can partake in this activity
under the theme ―We are the
That day, a cinema cycle will be
which will consist of an human
Others‖, from the documentary
started with themes related to
lace in the outdoor school space
―Babies‖, will be broadcast on
the Connecting theme ―We are
constituted by all the participat-
the school LCDs. The report of
the Others‖ – films such as
ing students, school staff and
the events will be made by the
―Gran Torino‖, ―Billy Elliot‖,
students from the unity of autists,
students from ―multimedia‖ and
―Desert
all dressed in white and green,
by
―Kandahar‖, ―Invictus‖ will be presented for four weeks.
the
School
Newspaper
Flower‖,
Water‖,
Tv GFA >>>>>
… at Escola Secundária Carlos Amarante ...
At Carlos Amarante High School, within the activities, there will be a human chain all around
the
whole
school
building. Also as part of the activities to celebrate this day, the CC Radio GFA >>>>>
“Since wars begin
launched a digital poster competition to raise awareness in the school community, and the winners will be awarded.
in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed”. (Prologue of the UNESCO Constitution )
… at Escola EB2,3 de Matosinhos... On
―Connecting
Opening
Day
A Human Ribbon will be built-up,
One of the main goals of the
promotional
in order to promote Non-
project is the one of solidarity.
video of the project will be shown, as well as other works
Violence and Peace at schools, and bracelets, which
This is the reason why we will present the APPACDM
done by students who belong to
will identify the members of
(Portuguese Association of Par-
ENA Cluster’s schools, during
―Connecting Classrooms‖ com-
ents and Friends of the Mental
the
munity, will be also delivered
Handicap Citizen), an institution
among the CC members.
which ENA Cluster’s schools will
Teen
[>>>].
a
Classrooms‖
Leaders’
training.
try to support, during this school year.
Page 3
Volum e 1, Ed ition 1 , Engli sh ver s ion
… at Escola Secundária da Póvoa de Lanhoso... been spreading everywhere, as well as for the need of everybody’s cooperation in the resolution of this social illness. The main purpose is to call everyone’s attention for an active role in order to defend the Human Rights and to promote the Peace. Thus, teachers will explore some videos aboutBullying, Cyber Bullying and Human Rights. On 30th January teachers will motivate students for the importance of our actions in order to fight the ―Bullying‖ and ―Cyber bullying‖ problems, which have
purpose, a big Human Ribbon will be held in the open school yard in order to call the attention of all the members involved to the importance of being an active citizen to build up a world of PEACE. A tshirt with the slogan ―I took the anti-bullying pledge‖ will be given to every school members who will get together for the Human Ribbon. To complete this activity, two groups
The School Community of Póvoa
of students will play two perform-
de Lanhoso Secondary School
ances with messages against School
will get together joining those
Violence, as a manifesto. These t-
who are likely to be victims of
shirts will be delivered in the school
school violence. To reach this
building .
“There is no way to peace. Peace is the way! ” Mahatma Gandhi
… at Escola EB2,3 de Paranhos ... Oslo, Norway, 22 July 2011 AFP - Two
intends to honour the victims of the
attacks on Friday in the region of Oslo
slaughter in Utoeya.
shook Norway with the news of 87 killings, as the result of an action perpetrated by a right wing extremist against the labour party. Witnesses of the
“We say no to fear,
attack in the island of Utoeya revealed
We say no to violence,
that the aggressor - a man with Nordic
In the silence you hear,
features and that spoke norwegian shot against the victims, the majority of which were youngsters (France Press).
Hidden in each tear Lies the power of tolerance!”
The Human Lace in EB 2,3 Paranhos
Fátima Veiga, EB23 Paranhos
Utoeya
… na Escola Secundária de Caldas das Taipas … & … EB2,3 de Mosteiro e Cávado Caldas das
the School yard. Slogans and
students. There will also be a
books, so that they can ex-
T aip as
S ec on d ar y
thoughts against School Violence
digital presentation about impor-
plain the role of the project
School’s
entrance, informa-
will be shared. The ―Connecting
tant personalities worldwide who
―Connecting Classrooms‖ to
tion about the project will be
Classrooms’ Hymn
[>>>] will
were recognized by their struggle
the
shown through pictures and vid-
also be sung by the school com-
for the Peace in the World. This
main purpose of this
eos on the wall collected by the Teen Leaders, in order to give
munity.
activity will take place in the
activity is to inform the
All day long, in
information related to Friendship, Integration and Diversity in the School Community.
Ângela Pereira, ESCT In Mosteiro
and Cávado
Compulsory School a A Human Heart of 100
students
will be organized in
recital of the poem ―If‖, by Rudyard Kipling, will be recited by
Students’ Room; an exhibition of photos and brief biographies of well-known
personalities
re-
searched by the students, will be shown in the School Library; a leaflet will be put in the teachers’
several
classes.
The
students about the importance of the project in the development of well-formed, active, critical citizens, as the main agents for a better society.
Page 4
C C . ENA C lus te r Connecting Classrooms: connecting cultures
Blog - EB2,3 do Cávado >>>>>>
The notion of six degrees of
the social network is 4.74.
blog. That is what Esco-
separation between any two
Thus, we can conclude that
laBásica do Cávado has done.
people stems from a research
ICT, and particularly the so-
You can have a look at our
performed in the 1960s by
cial networks, are an effective
Christmas Campaign by con-
communicate,
the American social psycholo-
way to communicate with
sulting our Blog:
Connecting
gist Stanley Milgram. Six de-
other people, to share ideas,
http://
grees of separation is the the-
to discuss different points of
connecting-
ory that anyone on the planet
view.
cavado.blogspot.com/
can be connected to any
By using ICT to communicate,
Perhaps Stanley Milgram was
other person on the planet
Connecting Classrooms project
wrong… perhaps there is no
“By using ICT to
Classrooms project approximates
through a chain of acquaintan-
approximates students from
such thing as six degrees of
students from
ces that has no more than five
different schools both in Por-
separation…if we work to-
different schools
intermediaries. According to
tugal and in Europe. Different
gether nothing can or will
a study by Facebook and the
pupils in a distant country can
tear us apart…
University of Milan, the aver-
share their work and experi-
Cristina Gonçalves,
age number of steps it takes
ences by using, for example,
Escola EB2,3 de Mosteiro e
to link any two individuals on
the TwinSpace platform or a
Cávado
both in Portugal and in Europe.”
Page 5
Volum e 1, Ed ition 1 , Engli sh ver s ion
IF [… share in EB2,3 de Mosteiro e Cávado] If you can keep your head when all about you
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can dream---and not make dreams your master;
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim,
Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;
And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son! Rudyard Kipling (30th December 1865 – 18 January 1936 / Bombay)
Connecting Classrooms Hymn
... Also at Escola Secundária Carlos Amarante
CHORUS Think of things you want to do Think of things that make you smile And forget your troubles for a while
Lecture on International Day of Disabled People
Here there’s so much to do But you can have fun, too Here you can take a break and chill out Actually, we know this is what life is all about (Chorus) Here you can visit places Try new things and see new faces Working out mobility to restyle again society Curbing down all prejudice refusing bullying and cowardice (Chorus) Dive into diversity Think of solidarity The world is out there, so bright and so new The world is waiting for me and for you. CC Hymn composed by César Silva and song lyrics by 10ºPDM & 10ºPCC 2010-11
On last December 2, 2011, a lecture entitled "Terminology on Disability in the Era of Inclusion" was held in the auditorium of our school as part of the activities to celebrate the International Day of Disabled People. This event allowed us to present some CC's activities to be carried out during this school year.
School day Among many other initiatives to celebrate our school the Connecting Classrooms Project organised a "Cultural Display" – a stand of typical dishes from different countries, language and literature, folk music and dance. Students from different countries attending classes in our school talked about their places and traditions and discussed multicultural sensitive issues in a round table debate.
Adelina Moura, ESCA
Page 6
C C . ENA C lus te r Connecting Classrooms activities in ESFGA Along the first term, under the project Connecting
nosso direito à vida cumprindo o nosso dever de cidadãos do mundo”. Mahatma Gandhi
and illustrations will be previ-
students
made poems
(some turned
The School Day (GFA Day). There
into songs) about the themes
were also expositions of stu-
―The Importance of the Lan-
dents’ works about cultural di-
guages among the People‖ and
versity and tolerance, again an
―We are the Others‖, which will be published on the school page.
initiative from Philosophy. The students of the elementary and
What’s more,
the students
of arts will contribute with drawings for the creation of an e-book. The students of the 12th grade have presented their research on PowerPoint about Valadares, Portuguese Language Varieties, Portuguese Culture/ Gastronomy, Portuguese around the World, Differences between the British and Portuguese culture, under the theme ―Here We are‖, once we are only starting the project this year.Moreover,
Students
from basic and secondary education participated in a volunteering initiative in aid of the 'Against Hunger' / Food Bank campaign
“Um homem não
and took photographs. The stu-
pode fazer o certo
the event along with a video.
numa área da vida,
marks. Some of these sentences
the
Classrooms,
“Só engrandecemos o
which were printed on book
dents will make a report about Furthermore,
the students
ously impressed on T-shirts for
secondary
educations
partici-
pated in debates in Civic Education about the theme Social Descrimination
and Networks. We
registered the event with photographs of the students defending their causes in a debate for the project ―Youth Parliament‖. Our school also went along with the project ―Sala de Estudo‖ (Study Room): after the classes schedule, volunteer students from 10th, 11th and 12th grades are helping students from 7th to 9th grades with their homework and school tests at the school library.
Along term,
the
second
we will organize our
for our students’ works and news of the project. Workshops from Espaço T and a conference about multiculturalism are due to take place. In philosophy and online page
from
Prof essional
enquanto está
Courses
organized a show to
ocupado a fazer o
raise funds for the volunteer
in articulation with English, the Human Rights will be translated and debated. The works done by the students will be published on
firefighters from Valadares. In
the school page.
errado em outra. A
philosophy, under the theme
vida é um todo
lating with the Project Workshop of Ideas, the arts students from
indivisível”. Mahatma Gandhi
―We are the Others‖ and articu-
the 10th and 11th grades illustrated sentences from other students of the same grades
Within the project Workshop of Ideas, a contest with debate and videos direction about the Problems of the Contemporary World and We and Others: participation
and citizenship has already been regulated. 12th grade students from ―Áreas de Expressão‖ are preparing a theatre play which they will present, in St. Valentine’s Day, to the users of the institutions where they will do their internship (mostly retirement homes). The activity will be opened to the community and they will be selling love cookies. The Environment theme will be dealt with in English subject by 11th grade students with powerpoint presentations and the organization of a study visit. The 11th graders from ―Técnicas Laboratoriais‖ have organized a visit to the local television/radio where they will record a film/ podcast in English presenting themselves and giving their opinion about some social/human problems. In history, agroup of work of 8th graders will be formed in order to recover local estate ( water-mills, typical of the place ).
On the School Day, 2nd March, we planned to prepare panels with the themes of the project and we are going to propose the writing of a sentence or a drawing to the students who will visit us. The mural will have a digital and global side, the ―Multimedia‖ students will photograph the outcome right away and publish it on our masterblog. The sentences written by the visitor students will also be published in our blog and projected ―live‖. We are going to ask the teachers of our visitor schools to bring something about their community as well: for example, a photo of their folklore, the activities of voluntary organizations or collectivities, so that we can publish them with a subtitle on the so called global space. Helena Reis - Escola Secundária Dr. Joaquim Gomes Ferreira (ESFGA)
Page 7
Volum e 1, Ed ition 1 , Engli sh ver s ion
EB2,3 de Matosinhos: A caring school
News from… ...Czech Republic
The project "Uma Escola Solidária"
Christmas workshop (12/2011) The Chrudim Business Academy students (the Czech school involved in the British Council project, Connecting Classrooms) organized a Christmas workshop for the attendees of the Day Care Centre “Jitrenka”. They made together Christmas cards and Christmas decorations. BA students also invited their friends to the café run by them in the practical project for the school subject Enterprise.
was designed jointly by the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Integrated Mediation Team of the Escola Básica de Matosinhos, with the help of social worker Claudia Gomes.
This project was developed during the Christmas season and aimed to assist the poorest households in our area, meaning those with the highest rate of unemployment, poverty and social exclusion. Thus, during a period of two weeks, we
Sports festival in Chrudim (10/2011) In October students from the Business Academy in Chrudim (the Czech Republic) together with other students from four Czech schools involved in the British Council project, Connecting Classrooms held a festival for physically and mentally disabled attendees of the Day Care Centre "Jitrenka" and the House of Social Services. A group of English students from Churchill Community College helped them with the preparations and organization. The festival was a great success and all participants enjoyed it very much. We are all looking forward to meeting again in autumn 2012. The day before the festival the Business Academy students together with the group of English students visited “Jitrenka”. They watched a performance prepared by its attendees and made together decorations out of clay and weaved baskets.
proceeded to collect a large amount of food that was later distributed to 44 families who have expressed serious economic needs, taking into account the number of factors that were affecting each household. It is important to mention that this act of social solidarity has gone through several phases before proceeding to the subsequent development and delivery of parcels, to be designated: identification of potentially needy families by the teachers; appeal for contributions by the school community through the designing of posters by the 7th grade classes; promotion of a bazaar by the 9th grade classes; and analysis and selection of the families that would be helped by this project by the social worker Claúdia Gomes. In short, I must commend the efforts of all those involved in fostering and implementing this project, from students, teachers
Sarka Pudilova
and non-teaching staff who have worked hard
Business Academy in Chrudim Pictures—Business Academy in Chrudim, Czech Republic
to make this action a success. In terms of learning, the students who participated directly in the development of this project had the opportunity to develop skills such as sociability, responsibility, solidarity, initiative, cooperation and creativity. Andreia Mendes Escola EB2,3 de Matosinhos
Pictures—Escola EB2,3 de Matosinhos
“In the great battles of life, the first step to victory is the desire to win” Mahatma Gandhi
Acknowledgements: Andreia Mendes, Cristina Gonçalves, Conceição Ribas, Dulce Ventura, Fátima Veiga, Helena Reis, Isabel Friande & Manuela Lourenço. (Thanks for helping in translation)
Connecting Classrooms ENA Cluster Published by Escola Secundária da Póvoa de Lanhoso Rua da Misericórdia 4830-503 Póvoa de Lanhoso espl.connecting@gmail.com Telef: 253 633 338
British Council - Porto Rua do Breiner, 155 4050-126 Porto Telef: 222 073 060 DGIDC - Ministério da Educação Av. 24 de Julho, 140 1399-025 Lisboa Telef: 21 393 45 00
Reading suggestions: Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen by Rosa Sousa, Escola Secundária da Póvoa de Lanhoso SIBYLS Sibyls inside adamantine caves, Totally loveless and blind. Feeding emptiness like a sacred fire While shadow dissolves night and day Into the same light of bodiless horror. Bring out here that monstrous dew Of interior nights, the sweat Of powers tied to themselves When words strike the walls In blind swoops of trapped birds And the horror of having wings Screeches like a clock in the void. © Translation: 2004, Richard Zenith
Sophia de Mello Breyner
This edition had the collaboration of all ENA Cluster’s Schools.