Ireland - spring wonders

Spring is here and this means one thing! Yearly camping trip is coming up! and to celebrate Saint Patric day, I want to update you on our trip! 

This spring we have chosen a new destination, a place neither one of us has been to… IRELAND!

 

After a short flight to Dublin, we will wonder around this historic city, checking out the Dublin Castle, famous monuments and parks. Of course, a sample of local cuisine is a must. I mean, Irish Stew and Corned beef and Cabbage is certainly going to be on my plate. My mouth is watering just thinking of it. J

                                                                 

To add to our adventure we will spend a few days camping under the stars in Wicklow National Park, eating up the scenery of the local mountains and whispering to ghosts from the Glendalough Monastic Site.

And no trip would be complete without a hike to the Cliffs of Moher. The breathtaking hike will be one to remember forever.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Another month, another book. 

Our 7th graders have a required book to read, including an hour of reading in closs. Simply put, Mondays are fun!

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a 2003 mystery novel by British writer Mark Haddon. Its title quotes the fictional detective Sherlock  Holmes in Arthur Connan Doyle's 1892 short story Silver Blaze. The novel is narrated in the first person perspective by Christopher John Francis Boone, a 15-year old bo who describes himslef as a mathematician with some behavioural difficulties living. Although Christopher's condition is not stated, the book's blurb refers to Asperger syndrome, high functioning autism or sevant syndrome.  

In July 2009, Haddon wrote on his blog that "Curious Incident is not a book about Asperger's... if anything it's a novel about difference, abou t being an outsider, about seeing the world in a surprising and revealing way. The book is not specifically about any specific disorder," and that he, Haddon, is not an expert on autism spectrum disorder or Asperger syndrome.

To find out students' opinions and read their creative essays please visit our EDU READING 

Corner Blog where each student will upload their work . 

Kepp it up- the CTM Academy

https://www.ctm-academy.org/

One often reflects at the end of January about what has happened and what resolutions to make. Without a doubt, our school had many changes and overcame many challenges.

One of the more dominant questions which pop to our academic minds are: How to motivate talented hardworking young minds to excellence in education; how to help prepare students for admission to university studies at home and abroad; and how to utilize the best online practices for the development of in-class education programs.

There is one program in the Czech Republic which for years has been targeting these questions and has been providing services to all gifted and motivated young minds. The CTM academy has over 1,000 students participated in CTY online programs and summer programs, taking demanding CTY Online courses in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, informatics, effective writing and other subjects, all taught in English. Additionally, the academy has over 40  students who have received full scholarships to the CTY Summer Program through a competition in which 150 students annually take part. Most students choose programs at Princeton, Berkeley, john Hopkins and other top universities, while a few students went to CTY Ireland and CTY Hong Kong.

What is more fascinating, that since 2011, over 60 schools have participated in CTY Online Program and a few have even integrated CTY online courses as their electives and our is school is the only one which has incorporated a Creative writing and a World Around Us science class into our school’s curriculum.

This means that all our students from 6th -9th class as well as the 1st two years in gymnasium have a required on line program which is supported by 2 hours of the subject taught by native speakers.

Is it tough? Yes. Is it challenging? Yes. Is it intellectual? Yes.


We are half way through the year, and half way through the program, and students knowledge of the English language as well as the scientific world is soaring up. And all we can say is “Keep it up!” 

EDU Reading Corner

Searching for the first book ever to have been published can be a bit of a challenge, as some believe it was the The Epic of Gilgamesh, mythologized account of an historical figure, Gilgamesh. Others will focus on the invention of the printing press by Johannes Guttenberg in 1440, as the real “book” printing era.

Over the centuries, we have gone from clay, to papyrus, to wax table, hand written parchments, printed paper and the most current invention of an e-book. It is maybe, with the invention of an e-book in the 21 century, that one can see a massive decline in reading or interest in books themselves. Book shops are closing and are being replaced by Apple Stores, and libraries are shrinking to make room for computer labs.

With all the advantages of modern technology and most up-to-date aps and state of the art technology, there is in me the nostalgic yearning for an old-fashioned book. You know, the one you can hold, flip pages with one hand and hold a hot cocoa with the other, all while wrapped in a cozy blanket while sitting on the sofa. With this in mind, I have opened the EDU Reading Corner, where students themselves will post reviews, stories, vocabulary lists and even recommendations etc. based on the books they have read either as part of school’s curriculum or as part of their own free time entertainment- yes, book can be entertaining.  

So, check in with us, once in a while,  to see what the kids are reading these year – you just might be surprised.

http://edureadingcorner.blogspot.cz/

Humans of Educanet

https://www.facebook.com/skolaEDUCAnet/

Once in a while we have a silly idea. We want to bring in students, teachers and parents closer to together. I mean, we all know each other by name and by what class we teach or whose parent is who. Often, we base our ideas and opinions of each other based on such limited facts. One way we attempted to bring out more personal information and shed some light on our lives beyond the classroom, emails and grading. 

We created our own HUMANS OF EDUCANET facebook page. This is based on the ever popular Humans of New York page which has over 18 million followers! (yes ,we have a bit more to go with our    Humans of New York began as a photography project in 2010, with a goal to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers on the streets and create a nice and short interview portrait.

We have done the same thing. We have contacted our students, teachers, parents and even graduates of our school and asked to write a personal view of themselves and their likes and even dislikes. I can honestly say that at the beginning it was a bit hard ro convince the students and teachers even more to open up… but slowly and surely the wonderful, clever humans of Educanet are coming out.

Check out our page! And even better contact me to become the next Human of Educanet! https://www.facebook.com/skolaEDUCAnet/

Revolution Train, an anti-drug campaign

http://www.revolutiontrain.cz/v2/

As a teacher, I often feel that sometimes we just need to get out of school. The trick is to think of a field trip that makes senese, that is entertaining and educational... and that is not always easy to do. Last week I chose for our classes to vist a Revolution Train, it is an Anti-Drug campaign. I, myself, didn't know what to expect. I heard great reviews and recommendations but a huge part of me was terrified that this will yet another "Don't do drugs" lecture which students are not very fond of nor do they think of this as "fun." Boy, was I surprised. A fantastic educational program that should be required for schools and students.
Instead of describing it myself, I will let the words of Rashad from our 9th class to the work :-)

Revolution Train, an anti-drug campaign.

The other day, a few classes from my school went to an anti-drug program that was held in a fully functional train. It was about 150m long and weighed over 300 tons! The silver colour was clearly a giveaway that this was no ordinary train.

We arrived at the train station in Dejvice and were split up into three groups. As we entered, we were welcomed by a nice lady who instructed us to leave our bags at the entrance and have some water or use the bathroom if needed. The entire exhibition took about one and a half hours. Certainly, I expected yet another boring lecture about how drugs are bad.  The first task we were given was to fill out a questionnaire about ourselves. The questions were mainly asking if we have ever used drugs, smoked, drank alcohol or something along that line. Once that was done, we entered one out of four theater rooms. I immediately assumed that we will watch a boring documentary. We were played a short movie, which was divided into several pieces throughout the train. An ear catching fact was when at the beginning of the film we learned that the narrator of the film is already dead and perhaps the scariest thing about this movie was, that this mini-movie was based on a true story and not a typical documentary. It was about a mistake made by two teenage girls who chose the wrong path in life. Their lives changed when they got into a car (after a night of drinking and dancing) with two drunk and drugged men. While in the car, driven by one of those men, they  crashed into a motorcyclist who died instantly. Not only was this tragic, but one of the girls lost her eye and the driver consequently went to prison. Long story short, the main character ended up doing pervitin and other drugs while still in a relationship with one of those men. Their relationship turned worse as he continued to sell drugs and use stronger and stronger types of drugs. Towards the end, the girl had a baby with him and attempted several times to go through a recovery program. At the end, we did learn that she had managed to get her life back to normal but were aware of how unusual and difficult that was.

I must also add, that in addition to watching this mini movies, in between the short films there were very interactive settings such as a jail cell, hospital room, interrogation room and even a real life squatter room to show us the realistic and dirty life style of a drug user.

In my opinion, it was very hard hitting. You realize that if you ever do something like this, you are pretty much screwed for the rest of your life. I myself found it interesting and very true. Surely, this was a great way, very interactive way to get us to pay attention and learn a valuable lesson.  My classmates had the same feeling about this program as I did. This generation is almost an identical example to the mini-movie and certainly can force kids to think about the choices they will one day have to make. I absolutely recommend visiting this antidrug campaign train.

Rashad , EDUCAnet Praha, Grade 9.

Busy Month

September is a busy month for all teachers. Yes, we are full of energy and are greatly motivated and one can even say that the students are still optimistic J There is always a bit of new organizational issues that always have to be dealt with and both the students and the teacher must get on the right “wave length” to assure that the remaining months go well. This month we managed two projects: The European Day of Languages and The Celebration of the State National Holiday of Saint Vaclav.

Sometimes, we as teachers talk a lot, or more than needed. This time I asked the students to make films about those two projects and here are the results! Great Job! 

Check out the Videos on our school web page.       http://praha.educanet.cz/

What We Can Learn From Huck Finn?

"I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks does for their'n." Chapter 23

I am amazed how so many students in the Czech Republic know the book "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," yet few have actually read it… and those few are the ones who read it as part of their reading lists for Maturita exam in Czech (and they choose it only because they assume that it is an easy book to read, about a little kid.) Little do they know that the book is actually full contemporary lessons, although still considered a great American classic.

This year I have decided that both of my classes will have to read the original version… yes, not the abbreviated look alike.

So I assigned it… the first 5 chapters, a total of 25 pages to be read over the weekend.

Within a few hours one of the students responded: 

 “I just wanted to say, that I read the first chapter and this book is very racist and some of the words in the text I have no idea how to read... EXAMPLE: By and by they fetched the niggers in and had prayers, and then everybody was off to bed. I went up to my room with a piece of candle, and put it on the table.“  

I was crushed… if this is the response I get now, what are they going to say on Monday? And how am I going to explain this unique book to a bunch of modern, mobile phone oriented teens? After all, plenty of people doubt the value of an old, possibly musty canonical work when there are fresher ones for students to read. Why do we need Twain’s 130 yr old novel?

And yes, the novel‘s continuous use of racist language often finds it being taken out of school curricula. The debate over the necessity of the N-word in the novel has been debated for decades (For a particularly good exploration, see: http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/01/05/does-one-word-change-huckleberry-finn?ref=books) The book without a doubt sustains its criticism of a hypocritical and morally derelict society and accurately shows what racism looks like. So the word is painfully necessary because it was a historical fact.

Beyond the racist comments, the language (as my student pointed out) is hard for contemporary teenagers to understand – of course reading original Shakespeare is no match at all. 

However, beyond the language, it is my understanding that students simply get Huck. They understand keeping secrets. They understand that your friends expect you to protect them even if it gets you in trouble. They understand that their moral instincts are not always shared by society. They understand that the worlds they create, either modern subcultures or a raft on the Mississippi, are more real and intelligible to themselves than the hypocrisy and corruption of adult society. They know that they will need to light out to the territories themselves someday and find their way – with a path often more difficult than predicted.

So, yes, they are still going to have to read the book – why, because they need to know that they are right, that their instinct is more valuable than predisposed rules by the society.

"I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she's going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can't stand it. I been there before." Chapter 43

History - is inspirational

I have always loved history –one can say it is in my blood. I mean, my dad wrote over 20 books on history so something rubbed off on me. History is a very important subject. Although, there has been debate over the years about whether or not to remove History as a core subject. I hope it will not. History is inspirational. Personally, it has improved not just my knowledge of the past, but my analysis in general, and has honed my opinions about a wide range of subjects, including my knowledge of current affairs.

History is a subject that focuses on the past, but can also give us an insight into the present, and how to deal with circumstances that bear a significant resemblance to those of decades or centuries ago. For example, the current recession has been compared to the Great Depression beginning in 1929. The reign of Elizabeth II has also been compared to that of Elizabeth I in the late sixteenth-century as a Golden Age.

In my own opinion, it’s important to know the important figures like William the Conqueror, Henry V, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Joan of Arc and Florence Nightingale because you can then apply their principles and ideas to the wider events of the time, and to what happens now, and who you want to be. Learning about key events like the Battle of Hastings, the Wars of the Roses, the Reformation, the Spanish Armada, and the English Civil War, gives us a sense of patriotism.

Of course, history must not be changed or modified to current trends or wishes. It is important to tell history as it is, or it is not history at all.

To summarize:

• ·        History provides identity. Studying history improves our decision-making and judgment. 
• ·        History shows us models of good and responsible citizenship.
• ·        History also teaches us how to learn from the mistakes of others.
• ·        History helps us understand change and societal development. 
• ·        History provides us a context from which to understand ourselves and others.’

In conclusion, History is essential to the past, present and future. Without it in schools, we would not have influential people. Moreover, without them, we would not know as much about our ancestors, and how to deal with current problems

7 ways which prove that I work with teenagers

I admit, I started teaching at the age of 25, right after getting out of college. This means that I haven’t had much experience in the real world – I mean “office” world. This also means that after 15 years of teaching, I still feel like I am … 25.

Whereas, my 40 something year old friends and family members sound more distinguished and mature with age… I am still stuck in the "teenage phase." 


Here a just a few things that prove that working with teenagers can be very very annoying :-) 

1. You start to sound like them.

I am not sure when it started but I have noticed that I often use vocabulary which … well… is not a 40 –year- old woman vocabulary. I frequently answer with “cool” or call people “dudes” and my worst - refereeing to a “gig” rather than an event. What is more, my text messages (despite my logical and moral opposition) have started to include “bae”, “YOLO” and even an occasional “wtf.” (And yes, that one I am really not proud of.)  

2. You never know if they are secretly saying something naughty.

While it’s true that I am fairly knowledgeable about the current slang (I mean, if not the students than my son always had an ample supply of new and unusual words), the teenage dialect is an ever-changing thing. I can never really keep up. So, when I ask my students what they did over the summer and one of them says, “I went bowling,” I am forced to wonder if the giggles from his classmates are because “bowling” is the newest code word for something else – drugs, sex, bingeing on video games. Who knows? I am certain, however, that half of the time they are enjoying my questioning look.

4. You question every fashion choice.

Yeah, this one I have not conquered yet. It is connected to a social media and the account settings. In a way, I want my students to feel that I am approachable and have nothing to hide…yet, those pictures on Facebook from 20 years ago showing me wearing an NKOTB t-shirt and pink jeans – are now just laughable. And without a doubt, the students have seen it. Becoming part of a joke that they undoubtedly create can be just simply awful. Not to mention the day when my H&M dress is identical to one a 16-year-old Alena wore last Tuesday …Yeah, look on Alena’s face as she was approaching me in the green military tunic and staring at the identical one I was wearing was just priceless.

5 You get horrid pop songs stuck in your head.

I have read once that a truly happy 40-year-old listens to the same music he or she did when they were teenagers… Well, I did throw away the NKOTB tapes but my Enrique Iglesias will always be mine. It is, however, my choice to listen to him over and over… it is something different when I am going about my business, having a perfectly lovely day, when all of a sudden I realize that I have been singing Into You by Arianna Grande for the last half hour – or Adele It’s me…It never fails. I hear them in class, I hear them during the breaks and even on the bus on the way to school – and it is impossible to get them untucked.

6. You find yourself saying, “When I was your age…” way too much.

Again, the age factor creeps up. I want to feel connected and more in tune with the teenager that I teach. Consequently, I find myself pulling my experiences back to them with a “when I was your age…” which immediately stuns me as I realize that my son is their age or even older. Teenagers can never imagine that I was ever their age. And even if I were, things were so much different waaaayyyyy back then that my stories are completely irrelevant. Hence, “when I was your age…” is often followed by son’s reply: “you mean, during the dinosaur age?”

7. You don’t know whether to baby them or tell them to grow up.

This is where I am really lost, double lost if I think of my son too (whom I have just had the pleasure of visiting for the weekend at college.) This is the paradox of the not-quite children, not-quite-grown-up people known as teenagers. One minute I just want to give them a hug and say that all will be just fine because after all they are kids. But the next minute I want to pound them with a frying pan while screaming how irresponsible and immature they are.  I mean someone should teach them that it is about time they got their act together because life ahead is rough. At the end of the day I am more exhausted then they are… maybe a bit schizophrenic from going back and forth from the not-quite-children and not-quite-grown-up attitude.

Despite all of this, I wouldn’t change working with them for an “office” job. I mean, thanks to the teenagers, I have tapped into the fountain of youth. After all, you are only as old as you feel…hence am still a very happy 25 year old.

Ideas Teachers Want Parents to Know

As both an English teacher and parent of a young adult (20-year-old) and a little 2^nd grader, I know how important the relationship is between teachers and parents. So I’ve compiled a list of 6 ideas teachers really want the parents of their students to know that might help encourage communication and understanding between the classroom and home.

1. It is hard to believe but I (actually all good teachers) spend a lot of time planning lessons and assignments. We don’t just pull everything out of our heads two minutes after the class starts J So, If you have questions about why I am teaching certain materials in a certain way, please ask. I won't bite. On the contrary, I will greatly appreciate the effort you put in by asking the question.

2. Given my college degrees and experience, I consider myself an expert on education, but you are the expert of your own child. I want to know more about your child, so please share anything you can. If I don’t know how to deal with your child or help them – I will ask you, because you are the expert of your own child.

3. Grades aren’t as important as you think they are. So many parts of school are more important than getting straight A’s, including helping your children discover interests and how to get along with others. Learning to stand up for themselves and how to handle disappointment are also essential skills that must be learned – and better earlier than later on. I won’t give up on your child, and one, or even a few, poor grades do not define who your child is.

4. It’s normal for your child to behave differently at school and at home. Remember that school is where students practice being young adults and taking on new identities. Please make home a safe place for your child to still be a child once in a while.

5. Please talk to your child about cell phone etiquette. I waste so much class time asking students to put their phones away. And please, don’t text your child during my class. If it’s a true emergency, call the school office.

6. Also, please encourage your child to get enough sleep. Majority of the teenagers I see on any given day are sleep-deprived – walking Zombies gulping down a can of red bull.

In a way, we teachers (and I for certain) feel privileged and want to teach and be around your children… they do make us laugh. Most importantly, we want them to succeed and move on, and we certainly don’t want to make like more difficult than it already is...

Get Your Hiking Boots Ready

Who said school has to be boring? Not me! And not my school!

We are excited about the beginning of the school year. Why? Because we are starting it off with an exciting and original school trip to Norway.

The Kingdom of Norway was chosen last spring by our students as the next destination. We will pack our backpacks, grab our sleeping bags and tents and head north. But this will not be an ordinary “sightseeing trip.” It will an expedition into the wilderness. After a day trip in Oslo we will head even further north and west to check out the most beautiful natural wonders Norway has. We will travel all the way to Bergen by train and lots and lots of walking.

So get your hiking boots ready because the fun is about to start. 

Grand Opening - 1st Day of School

The first day of school is the first day of an academic year. The timing varies between different areas around the world because of the differences in weather climate, season and culture. A common pattern in North America and Europe is for school to begin in late August or early September, while in the southern hemisphere mid January to early February is common.

This year we once again started on the 1^st of September. However, for us this was a super special day as not only did we kick off a new year but we also welcomed our students in a completely new, modern and large school building. Over the last 6 months and super busy last two months, our staff created a friendly, clean and fully functional new cozy nest. Such large event required an even larger welcome and hence all the students, the returning ones and the new ones, as well as their parents, grandmothers and brothers or sisters all met for the grand opening at 8:45 in front of the school.
Of course, a grand opening wouldn’t be so grand if it didn’t have some celebrities, right? Hence, we were so lucky to have our recently graduated senior Jiri Prskavec come and welcome our students. Without out a doubt, it was most generous of him to spend some time with us and our students especially since has just returned from the RIO 2016 Olympics where he won the bronze medal.
Pictures were taken, autographs were given out, snack were eaten and coffee was drunk…and in the end the ribbon was cut and students entered…
Wishing a wonderful new school year to all… (teachers, students and parents)

 

long school holiday - good or bad?

We are more than half way through our holiday which allowed students to respite from the stresses and struggles of the classroom. Within a few weeks our students will resume classes, hopefully re-energised and rejuvenated to face the books. 

Long school holidays help students clear their heads, relax a little and stretch their brains in different ways.

However, for decades, there has been a lot of debate among teachers, parents, and policymakers around the world, on how long a school break should be.

Traditionally, schooling schedules have long been based more on cultural patterns than on efficient education strategies. For instance, in Iceland it was traditionally timed to allow children to help out with harvest. Other countries have long summer vacations because it is simply too hot to study. In other areas where religion plays an important role in the holiday season, the religion calendar then commands the break, so that students can have ample time to partake in the rituals and traditions of seasonal holidays. This is the case with Italy and the Balkans where school children and teachers enjoy some of the longest summer holidays on the planet.

There are some obvious advantages to a vacation that lasts longer. Families who live a long distance from relatives are able to travel together, sometimes across the ocean, in order to connect with their loved ones. From an educational standpoint, a child that is able to experience another culture can gain valuable language, history, and social skills. The students get to participate in activities that would be difficult to do during a regular school term.

On the other hand, critical academic skills need daily repetition which a modern parent may not be able to carry out at home. For example, students learning to read must practice these skills consistently or the teacher will have to reteach some of the concepts if they stay long before refreshing. The same goes for foreign languages and mathematics facts.

Unlike before, a long study break is more likely to cause students to forget what they have been learning. With the movies and video games, they slip away from study habits and become languid from so much time not working.

Consequently, long school holiday can be either constructive or destructive to our students! But I am still enjoying a long holiday. 

World's Best Education System

Although it is summer and I am currently on holiday, I can’t help myself and just once in a while think about school and my students…

And while day dreaming, I take a look at my kids and think of those that I teach and one thing comes up: in thirty years from now, countries of the world will be governed by today’s youth. Yeah, this means that Honza S or Marek P or Jakub H or those chatty girls such as Aneta or Kamila will be the ones leading and shaping the country. Their thoughts and actions will be shaped by what they know and have experienced, making education, in many ways, one of the best predictors of a nation’s future success. So how well are we preparing them for this inevitable role?

Keeping this in mind, I googled Courtiers with Best Education System….and came across an interesting study…

Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland spend the most money on education as a percentage of their gross domestic product, according to the World Bank. Maybe that is the reason why these Scandinavian nations all ranked in the top third, even outperforming Asian nations.

South Korea ranked at number 11, despite the fact that it is the only nations where students attend school each day of the week – I wonder what our students would say if suddenly Saturday and Sunday was a school day too. Japan, which I assume no one is surprised, ranked at number 8, the best of all Asian nations.

It listed Finland as number 1 and Iran as the last. Although ranking Pakistan as the second to last, was no surprise, it suddenly made sense why the young female student Malala Yousafzai (who won the Nobel Prize for her advocacy in fighting Taliban restrictions of females attending the school) should be taken more seriously.

So I searched some more…and turned towards UN or UNICEF to help me get some statistics.

All those studies also confirmed that Scandinavian countries, leading with Finland, are simply the best, shortly followed by South Korea or Japan.

So my curiosity took the best of me… and I then googled: Why is educational in Finland so good? And after several hours of reading several points kept repeating itself over and over.

·         Schools in Finland have a different approach. Instead of control, competition, stress, standardized testing, screen-based schools and loosened teacher qualifications they focus on warmth, collaboration, and highly professionalized, teacher-led encouragement and assessment.

·         While the school in Finland have the latest technology, there isn’t a tablet or smartphone in sight, in any of the classrooms, just a smart board and a teacher’s desktop.

·         Children are allowed to slouch, wiggle and giggle from time to time if they want to, since that’s what children are biologically engineered to do, in Finland, America, Asia and everywhere else.

Obviously, there is a lot more that one needs to keep in mind when comparing educational systems: culture, poverty, race and even history as it has such an enormous influence on the nation. However, that would become way too long… and I am on holiday after all J

"Are we there yet?" - how to survive the last month of school

“Are we there yet?”, “are we there yet” … we all have experience long car rides with little ones in the back seat, expressing their eagerness to reach the final destination. In a way, for teachers, that car ride is the month of June. The anticipating and impatient faces of the students counting the dread hours till the 1^st day of the summer holiday. There is a bit of that never ending stress that we need to teach them just a few things more, that we can test them of just a few more questions and that we can just cram a few more facts in them… all while the sun is shining, birds are singing and the breezy fresh air makes them want to jump and run outside.

Well, a few days ago we, teachers, gave up. We took the whole school out. We organized a Sports Day filled with athletic competitions and prices. The students were divided into groups of 5 or so and were asked to walk from station to station and “compete” in some activities that were prepared by different teachers. Given the fact that I am not the most athletic person, I chose Musical Chairs. Oh, also because my colleague Tom can play the guitar really well J So music and sports, there is no better combinations. Couple of hours of pure fun, laughter and jokes. It was certainly a nice way to take a break from all those last minute tests. After that, the school organized its first ever Talent Show – and may I say I am very proud of my students.  The Gymnasium students did a great theatrical performance and the two boys from my basic class gave an outstanding piano concert! Good Job!