Novaschool Sunland diario Sur

special

APRIL 2012

SCHOOLS School work Costa pupils show us some of their artwork and writing Competition winners Results of the EOI short story contest Activities School outings, events and celebrations Academic subjects How pupils study in the classroom

Education and learning “What we learn with pleasure we never forget�

Alfred Mercier

2 SUR IN ENGLISH

APRIL 27TH TO 4TH MAY 2012

EDUCATION AND LEARNING

At school Science in action

Safety and sport

An ICT esafety lesson Aloha College

Melting solids In Science classes at Calpe School, Years 3 and 4 have been learning about separating solids and liquids. They carried out experiments to determine

the properties of different solids and liquids and to find out the processes which occur when there are changes between solids, liquids and gases.

The experiments involved melting, freezing, mixing, sieving, filtration and evaporation.

Calpe School

Year 1 running for charity Aloha College

APRIL 27TH TO 4TH MAY 2012

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EDUCATION AND LEARNING

At school Expert tuition

Comment

Why I hate reality TV I hate reality TV. It isn’t educational, it isn’t exciting, it is not even entertaining. I hate reality TV because it promotes the use of inappropriate language; I hate it because people that participate in it are rude. I hate it because the contestants, judges and sometimes even the viewers shout most of the time and you can hardly understand what they are saying. I hate it because the people’s lives are not interesting and the people who participate have hardly achieved anything worth celebrating. The participants don’t deserve to be celebrities. I hate it because they make people turn against each other, I hate it because it can be violent; I hate it because they make people do things that they may not want to do, I hate it because it is trash. Another reason why I hate it is that the people who take part in it show no manners or respect for each other. The producers make things over exaggerated and so I hate it because it is all fake. Reality TV is just nonsense for people that don’t have anything better to do with their time. It should be renamed to Unreality TV because life isn’t and shouldn’t be like the way they present it.

Blanca Cominges – Aged 13, Swans International School

Food technology Students at Laude San Pedro International College were treated recently to a talk by Dani García, a 2 Michelin Star chef. This was a memorable experience for all the students involved. The

Early learning

icing on the cake came when he invited the Food Technology students to visit his restaurant (Calima) to see how the kitchen is run there.

After the presentation, all guests

were treated to mini carrot cakes and flapjacks prepared by the students..

Fun with cornflour

Laude SanPedro International College

Science Week at Swans Primary Reception

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4 SUR IN ENGLISH

APRIL 27TH TO 4TH MAY 2012

EDUCATION AND LEARNING

Events Dressing up

Celebration

International Day How do you celebrate the end of the spring term with so many nationalities at a single school? The answer is to have an International Day where the children participate in traditional dance and songs watched by all their families. Gillian Godbold, Director, says: “We all had a wonderful time watching the children perform for us and each parent also provided food which created a wonderful international buffet.”

Below, Isabelle Doherty, Molly Tunley, Tegan Miles and Geena Denies singing Michael Jackson’s “We are The World”.

The International School Estepona

The Easter bonnet parade On the last day of the spring term at the British School Marbella the children had the opportunity to show off their creative talents when they paraded their homemade Easter Bonnets during a special Assembly.

Before the parade the children and parents took part in a quiz to find out who was the most knowledgeable when it came to

Easter and spring. After various tricky questions, it was clear that the children’s knowledge far surpassed the parents, gaining twenty points more than the parents. Well done children, you are eggs-tremely knowledgeable in these matters!

Then, the moment everyone had been waiting for, the Easter Bonnet Parade. So much time,

effort and creatively was displayed, making the judge’s decision really difficult. However, a winner had to be chosen and the children with the most eggcellent bonnets were Claudia (Priamary), Julieta AF (Reception), Miles (Nursery) and Gennaro (Pre-Nursery).

The British School Marbella

APRIL 27TH TO 4TH MAY 2012

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EDUCATION AND LEARNING MALAGA

Sur. MIT School in PTA (Anda-

lusianTechnology Park) now into its second year of existence is already an educational reference; not just in Malaga province, but in the whole of Spain. With more than 400 students, it has already doubled its most optimistic forecasts.

Courses range from first year infant education up to university access. Indeed, it is the only private school in Malaga that offers three Bachillerato options.

Its success stems from the fact that it is the first school that has united and coordinated all the features that others centres offer in an isolated or segmented form.

The school commented, “we offer an education based on the key values of discipline, desire for knowledge and the avidness to always strive for improvement. Its language proposition is extensive: bilingualism in English from three years, obligatory Chinese from six years, German from Primary course 4 and French from Secondary course 1. Likewise, a language school already exists delivering courses in the mornings and evenings, which been recognised as the only school in Málaga to have received the official computer-based University of Cambridge examination certificate.

As with similar centres, they offer exchanges with schools from all over the world; in addition, MIT School offer an innovation rarely seen in Spain: the Dual Bachillerato Option, in which students carry out their studies in a North American High School simultaneously with the Secondary/Bachillerato.This makes it more accessible for students who wish to join a USA University to get a place.

Where other schools attach great importance to the study of Music, MIT excels; offering evening study at the Official Conservatoire of Music and Dance, at elementary degree level. It’s also the only educational centre that offers summer courses throughout July and August.

Situated in the ParqueTecnología de Andalucía (Andalusian Technology Park), MIT students benefit from a wealth of experience and practice in the some of the most internationally renowned technological companies. Indeed many company leaders are parents of MIT students.

Its infant school curriculum also offers unique courses such as horse riding, with ponies, an activity not generally found in Spanish school.The course is an obligatory part of the curriculum at MIT. MIT School enjoys some wonderful surroundings; situated next

Situated in the Andalusian Technology Park, MIT students benefit from a wealth of experience

QUALITY Malaga

Institute Technology (MIT) Bilingual College is the only private centre in Malaga which offers an Arts Baccalaureate

MIT College in the Parque Tecnológico de Andalucia is the educational reference to a lake, the school’s directive has announced that students will be carrying out some lessons, or reading hours in the outdoors, sitting on the grass or under the many surrounding trees. It’s a way of getting the students out of the constraints and sometimes aggression of the classroom.

According to the centre’s director, Javier Díaz Cabrera: «The core element is to ensure that we are constantly transmitting key values to our students, such as: loyalty, honour, philanthropy, courage, responsibility, effort, dedication, self-improvement, humility, sincerity, respect and creativity.Without which, all education would be empty and sterile».

SUBMITTED

6 SUR IN ENGLISH

APRIL 27TH TO 4TH MAY 2012

EDUCATION AND LEARNING

In school and out Nature

Book cover As part of Book Week athe British School of Marbella, Primary chose to focus on a well known hero, Robin Hood. They wrote their own version of the

story from the perspective of a different character.

They then looked at the features of book covers, and above, you can see Claudia’s book co-

ver depicting the Story of Maid Marian.

Claudia Rodríguez – Aged 6, The British School of Marbella

The children at Calpe School recently enjoyed a visit to Bioparc in Fuengirola. They were greeted on arrival by Rocio, who showed them around and gave them lots of information about the life cycle and diet of the creatures and their natural habitats. They saw many different insects, animals, reptiles and birds and were even lucky enough to see a White Tiger! All in all, a fantastic day was had by everybody.

Calpe School

APRIL 27TH TO 4TH MAY 2012

EDUCATION AND LEARNING

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8 SUR IN ENGLISH

APRIL 27TH TO 4TH MAY 2012

EDUCATION AND LEARNING

Essay “Victorian tea party”

All about swans A swan is a bird that is related to a duck; it’s also a fairly common surname for people in the United kingdom. There are three variants of the surname: Swan, Swann and Swayne. It’s believed that the name arose for a swan keeper in the medieval times, also that it could be associated with people that lived at a place with the sign of a Swan.

Going back to the topic of real swans, the birds only have a life expectancy of 7 years. In England there is a law that it is illegal to kill a swan .You may wonder how this law exists, but I’ll tell

you, the Queen owns all of the swans in England.

You may have seen romantic movies or photographs of where there are two swans swimming together. This is because when their beaks touch their necks form a romantic heart shape. What ma-

kes them even more romantic is that swans live with their partner for life.

Swans feed in the water and on land. They are almost entirely herbivorous, although they may eat small amounts of aquatic animals. In the water food is obtained by up-ending or dabbling, and their diet is composed of the roots, tubers, stems and leaves of aquatic and submerged plants.

In the Tudor times it was considered ‘fine dining’ to cook and eat a Swan! King Henry was famous for it! There are even recipes nowadays on the internet for eating cooked swan. Yuk!

William Bergman– Aged 14 Swans International School

Year 5 pupils at Aloha College have been studying all about the Victorians - their inventions, what life was like, what children did in their spare time and how their schools were very different from ours. At the end of the topic they had a Victorian Day where they all dressed up in Victorian clothes and made food from the era, then invited people to attend a Victorian Tea party.

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Aloha College

APRIL 27TH TO 4TH MAY 2012

EDUCATION AND LEARNING

SUR IN ENGLISH 9

10 SUR IN ENGLISH

APRIL 27TH TO 4TH MAY 2012

EDUCATION AND LEARNING

Art Old Masters

Infants

Painting after the Impressionists Belén Jiménez Year 13 Almuñécar International School

The International School Estepona

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It’s like a puzzle; everyone’s different but everyone fits in Chantele I now get more attention and help in classes Charlie

ATC the small school for big results office@atcollege.eu Tel : +34 952927608

With all the help I have been getting I now understand better and find the lessons more fun Kane

APRIL 27TH TO 4TH MAY 2012

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EDUCATION AND LEARNING 2

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English National Curriculum, supplemented by approved program of Spanish language and culture. University of Cambridge Examining Board.

Sixth Form students follow a programme leading to the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. From September 2012 we are offering A Levels in addition to the IB Diploma.

All the latest technology in both equipment and performance-management programs.

ALOHA COLLEGE Urb. El Angel, Nueva Andalucía, 29660 Marbella. Tel: 952 814 133 www.aloha-college.com

12 SUR IN ENGLISH

APRIL 27TH TO 4TH MAY 2012

EDUCATION AND LEARNING

Short story Malaga’s ‘Escuela Oficial de Idiomas’ (Official Languages School) holds a short story competition each year for students of the English language. The SUR in English team were delighted to be asked to help judge the competition again this year. This is the winning entry

The human fairy Paloma Ruiz de Molina Sánchez

It was a cold night, and Claire was in bed, as every night, waiting for her mother to tell her a new fairy tale. It was her favourite subject.

She loved listening to fairy tales and, after that, dreaming of a lot of fairies, especially two of them, older than the others, who kissed her and took care of her and who Claire felt safe with.

‘Mum, Susan has told me that I can’t believe in fairies, because they don’t exist.’

‘Of course they do,’ said Mum, ‘but they live in a different world separated from ours only by a magic door’.

‘And has anybody ever seen that door?’ asked Claire, with bright eyes.

‘Yes, a woman saw it once. Let me tell you her story: ‘Once upon a time, there was a fairy called Iris. She lived in a very

special country called Emerald World, full of plants and trees, with a lot of nice fairies. Each family lived inside a tree, and Iris lived with her parents, Sparrow and Dove. She used to wear a pair of yellow shoes and a brilliant green dress. She had a lot of friends, all of them very cheerful and nice.

One day, her best friend Daisy started to feel under the weather. It was very strange, because fairies never went down with an illness.

But the following days, there were more cases, so the Wise Fairies met in order to find a solution, studying their Holy Book. They were really surprised when they finally could read: ‘Our happiness depends on our health. If a fairy started to be ill, it could be the end of everyone in our world. The reason would be that our magic powder would be starting to lose its energy, so it would be necessary to find a special plant called the White Start, lo-

cated in the Human’s World, in a cave near the last sea. The mission must be done by a fairy with a rose on her shoulders. But when she crosses the Golden Door which separates both worlds, she will lose her fairy condition, and she will turn into a human being. Furthermore, she will have to put the White Start in front of the Golden Door, and knock on it three times. After that, she will have to leave forever, only being able to come back to Emerald World in her dreams’.

Everybody looked at Iris, who had tears in her eyes. She was that special fairy. After seeing her family and friends off, she crossed the Golden Door with her broken heart, but also with the strength of thinking that she had the opportunity to save her World.

Iris realised how her fine wings disappeared, even her green dress was transformed into a human one.

The only thing which didn’t change was her pair of yellow shoes.

Iris started to rush. She had crossed several valleys and mountains for twenty days. She ate what she could and she slept on top of trees, so she felt confident enough at night.

One day, she had to cross a dangerous river. She tried to do it putting her feet on each stone, step by step, but finally she fell and the strong current swept her along, until her head bumped into a rock,

APRIL 27TH TO 4TH MAY 2012

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EDUCATION AND LEARNING

Short story and she lost her consciousness.

When she woke up, she realised she was in a bed in a small but nice bedroom. A young and handsome man was watching her.

‘Hi, at last you have opened your eyes!’ said the man.

‘How have I ended up here?’ asked Iris, ‘And how long have I been sleeping?’

‘Oh! I found you near the river, you were hurt, so I decided to bring you home until you recovered. You have been sleeping for three whole days and you have talked loudly about fairies, powder, magic and things like that. By the way, my name is Daniel’.

‘My name is Iris,’ she said, but she had such a pain in her heart that she started to cry and, after a while, she decided to tell Daniel her real story.

He listened to her quietly, and instead of

thinking about Iris being a crazy person, he believed her story and decided to help her.

After a week, they left Daniel’s home in order to find the White Start. For five months, they walked through forests, jungles and deserts, until finally they saw the cave near the last sea. When Iris saw the White Start, she started to tremble while Daniel looked at her, with a

nice smile. She had a mixture of new feelings, because she was a human being. She hugged Daniel and they kissed. Iris had fallen in love with him, and so had Daniel.

They came back to Emerald World after six months. Iris knocked on the Golden Door three times, and her parents opened the Door and took the White Start.

They hugged for almost half an hour, because they knew they weren’t going to see each other any more, only in their dreams.

One month later, Iris and Daniel got married. Iris was very happy because she knew she had helped her World, and she liked her human condition. Moreover, she loved Daniel so much. So they lived happy ever after.’

‘And that’s the end of the tale, my little Claire. I hope you have liked it. And now, have sweet dreams.’ And with one kiss, she went out of Claire’s bedroom.

Claire felt terribly excited. Now, she could understand why her mother hid that pair of yellow shoes she once found. She was very proud of her parents, because they had saved Emerald World, although her mother had changed the names in the tale.

But Claire knew everything, because she had her own secret: every time she fell asleep, she dreamt of a lot of fairies who loved her and played with her, especially two of them: her grandparents.

The top three story writers THE HUMAN FAIRY Paloma Ruiz de Molina Sánchez Winner XI Málaga EOI Short Story Contest 2011-12 Paloma Ruiz de Molina Sánchez was born in Madrid in 1978. She is an Agricultural Engineer and she likes reading, watching films and doing sport. She studies English B2.2 at the EOI Málaga. She is now living in Torremolinos with her husband and her pretty eight-monthold daughter Clara, who have inspired two characters of her story and whom she dedicates it.

THE PRICE Rogelio Vilches Jordán Runner-up XI Málaga EOI Short Story Contest 2011-12 Born in Linares (Jaén) in 1966, Rogelio Vilches Jordán studied Architecture. He works as a freelance architect in his own studio. He is a student of English B2.2 at the EOI Málaga. He likes cinema, sport, and the classic horror novels. Last year he took part in our contest with a tale about two relatives who shared names but were separated by 500 years and who had a glimpse of each other through a hole.

THE MAID Inmaculada Sedano Villena Born in Málaga in 1986, Inmaculada Sedano Villena holds a degree in Journalism and loves reading literature, except for fantasy fiction. She is a student of English B2.2 at this language school.

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APRIL 27TH TO 4TH MAY 2012

EDUCATION AND LEARNING: ADVERTORIAL

Make your very own Bear L.B. Costa Bear opened a month ago in the Polígono Industrial of San Pedro. Similar to the hugely successful global Build-A-Bear concept, at the Costa Bear workshop children can create their own teddy bears. First they choose the body – from traditional brown bears, pink, blue, and rainbow colours are just some of the options; then they are stuffed, a secret wish is hidden inside and they are then personalised with special smells, sounds and a myriad outfits to dress them in. From swimming costumes, disco dresses, police uniform and cowboy outfits; children can build their own loveable, furry friend exactly how they want them.

On entering the Costa Bear House children are greeted by Costa Bear himself, popcorn is on tap, so you don’t have to create your bear on an empty stomach, and Marisa and Sara are the wonderful hosts who at times seem to be having more fun than the children!

Once you have stuffed, bathed, weighed, measured and dressed your bear, it is time to name him or her and get your special birth bear certificate. The attention to detail throughout the whole activity is really fantastic and as a par-

ent I loved the idea of not just going to a toy shop and picking up a product from the shelf. Your child has had a hand in creating their very own furry friend. Now that’s something special!

When I asked Marisa, the owner of Costa Bear and an interior architect, what had made her decide to set up Costa Bear, she remarked that every year she would despair trying to find something unique and novel for her daughter Gigi’s birthday.

“There is a lack of variety in children’s activities, especially if the weather isn’t great”, she commented. The Costa Bear concept caters for children’s parties, which can be held at the Costa Bear House or hosted in the comfort of your own home. Apparently giant Costa Bear himself also comes, although not sure how he fits in the car!

My daughter for one spent a really fun Saturday morning building her Costa Bear and it hasn’t left her arms since. It’s a great way to spend some quality time with your children, watch them at work and see their happy faces when their bears are finished.

For more information contact Marisa or Sarah on 952 782 621 or visit www.costabear.com

APRIL 27TH TO 4TH MAY 2012

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EDUCATION AND LEARNING QUALITY The school,

for pupils aged between 3 and 18 years, offers a double British and Spanish qualification from University of Cambridge International Examinations

Novaschool Sunland has become the most extensive British International school campus near Malaga capital

MALAGA

Sur. Novaschool Sunland Inter-

national is already the most extensive British International campus closest to Malaga capital.

Just fifteen minutes away from Malaga centre and ten minutes from Teatinos, the school has all the necessary ingredients to provide the best option for parents who are serious about their children receiving a genuinely bilingual education through an innovative system, incorporating the use of new technologies in the classroom (the entire campus area has WiFi). The school also offers direct contact with nature and boasts many sporting facilities set on a vast campus of 40,000 square metres of countryside.

Novaschool Sunland International has been offering its students a double qualification for more than eleven years - the Spanish Ministry of Education´s qualifications in addition to the British International qualifications (IGCSE, AS/A levels). The centre offers the International British Curriculum from pre-school to 6th Form to ensure that the students are totally immersed, not only in language, but also in the British culture. Needless to say, the official language of the school is English. Spanish is also taught as required by the Spanish Ministry of Education, and an optional third language, French or German, is also offered.

In its secure and incomparable natural setting of 40,000 square metres to the northwest of Malaga (on the Cártama Station to

Pizarra road), Novaschool Sunland International has excellent sporting, educational and recreational facilities. Located in the picturesque Guadalhorce Valley, students are educated in the safest and healthiest environment in the whole province. Participation in sport is highly encouraged with the centre offering a basketball court, a volleyball court, a football pitch with artificial turf, paddle tennis courts and an outdoor swimming pool.The International Youth Award is firmly implanted and enjoys great popularity amongst the students with regular excursions to the mountains at the weekends.With such a variety, even the most reluctant students can find an activity they enjoy.

The school seeks to develop an open and enquiring mind through the performing and visual arts, as well as in the sciences, which is encouraged and supported by an enthusiastic and dedicated staff.

Students have access to music, drama and art and design studios, as well as having access to a well re-

sourced library.There are also specialist science laboratories designed to meet practical examination requirements in biology, chemistry and physics.

Educational innovations have been significantly enhanced recently through the use of information communication technology, by developing a unique methodology consistent with the changes and needs of students and the society around them. After several months of work, and with the collaboration of the University of Malaga, MyÁgora+ was born.This is an innovative digital platform serving as a meeting point for the entire educational community of Sunland International Novaschool (parents, teachers and students).

Within the platform, parents can track the course contents, follow up their child’s progress, learning needs, exchange information between groups, chat with teachers and much more... all in real time!

Teachers can publish any content related to the subjects they teach, and in doing so, they expand edu-

cational opportunities and provide a genuine one to one experience with the student as they continue their education from home.

The learning platform allows teachers to provide documentation to their students in a variety of media formats (video, audio, presentations, animations, etc.). At the same time, parents have access to all this documentation to allow them to work with their children.

The platform also offers a variety of activities that allow students to participate and interact with their peers.

The main difference between this project and others similar to it, in terms of both in public and private sector is that MyÁgora + includes and expands on all of the initiatives that have been developed elsewhere.The creation of this new methodology provides: continuous training to teachers, development of the school infrastructure, provision of laptops, digitisation of material, and involvement of students and families.This provides all the necessary means to access the most up to date and sophisticated teaching environment.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

The aim of Sunland International Novaschool is to work together with parents to: - Prepare fully bilingual students and guide them in the development of their talents and abilities.

- Provide a learning framework that helps students to achieve excellence, aiming to foster their in-

dividual learning style and personal skills.

- Emphasise the importance of human, moral, ethical and spiritual values as well as the social development of the students.

- Understand the unique individuality of each student and facilitate their vocational settling at an early age, through devoting personal attention, and addressing and valuing their characteristics as a person.

- Foster awareness and a genuine appreciation for the Spanish and British traditions.

- Promote understanding of international cultures and values, providing the best possible preparation for a life with a greater sense of justice, self-discipline, tolerance and respect.

- Promote respect for the basic components of society in which the students live, such as family and local institutions.

- Develop a clear awareness of the students’ rights and responsibilities within the community and the need to apply their skills, abilities and experiences in order to cooperate in solidarity with the world around them, today and in the future.

- Create the conditions in which our students nurture a deeply rooted affection for Sunland International Novaschool and the lifestyle it represents.

- Foster a concern for the quality and care of local and global environment for future generations.

SUBMITTED

16 SUR IN ENGLISH

EDUCATION AND LEARNING

APRIL 27TH TO 4TH MAY 2012