MR MEN AND LITTLE MISS
You will really enjoy the following videos!
CULTURE
HOMAGE TO ROGER HARGREAVES
I’m sure many of you, just like me, have spent many, many enjoyable moments with Mr Men and Little Misses! If Roger Hargreaves were alive today, we would be elebrating his 76th birthday. Below are a few of his endearing characters.
VIRTUAL CHOIR
This is fantastic!!!
WELCOME BACK!
2011 school year is beginning! And what better attitude to have than LOTS of energy, enthusiasm and commitment to the work we are starting.
A lot of the results we obtain during our working year depend on our approach to what we have to do. If you feel that it is a drag, that it is boring, and you will never be able to complete the required work, it will most probably turn out to be so. But, if on the other hand, you look at it as an opportunity to learn, to obtain benefits and successes in your future life, your attitude is positive, and only good things will come of it.
So, face the future with a smile. If you do so, the future will most surely be yours!
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND MAY 2011 BRING YOU PEACE AND LOVE!
EARTH DAY - IT ALL BEGAN WITH 'SILENT SPRING'
Silent Spring, a book by Rachel Carson which was published in 1962, contained warnings about the effects pesticides had on human lives and wildlife. People began to notice what was happening to their world because of chemical products and ecological ideas became more widespread. There was a lot of controversy worldwide due to this book, and the chemical industry reacted strongly. A few years later, the media reported intensely on environmental problems and pollution in different areas. A dramatic oil spill in California opened the eyes of many to the problems this caused on wildlife along the coast, and caused the greatest impression on Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin. He had the idea of creating Earth Day, and contributed to an environmental protest, called an environment teach-in.This event took place on April 22nd, 1970, and it is believed that about 20 million Americans participated in their communities all over the USA. Forty years have passed and the Earth is in greater danger than ever before. It is important to crete a mass conscience of contribution to everyone's welfare, and there are many ways in which YOU can cooperate.
http://www.earthday.org/earthday2010
ESU PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION 2010
Carolina Gana Skinner and Rodrigo Echeverría Cortéz
Universidad de los Andes
April 14th, 2010
English Speaking Union Public Speaking Event 2010
Main hall - Registration of Schools
Carolina and Rodrigo awaiting their turn to speak in the auditorium of the Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de los Andes.
Carolina: ’Don’t worry, but be careful’
Rodrigo : ’One Step at a Time’
Rodrigo and Carolina relaxing after lunch in the snack area.
Yesterday, April 14th, Carolina Gana and Rodrigo Echeverría went to Santiago to take part in the annual ESU Public Speaking Event, acompanied by their English teacher, Christine Evans. The event was extremely interesting and they enjoyed themselves immensely. It was wonderful to see what other people of their own age are capable of in an area as difficult as speaking in public with no notes or other aids. They did very well, and although did not win a prize, felt the satisfaction of having given a very good speech. Carolina’s was, ’Don’t worry, but be careful’, and Rodrigo’s had as a title, ’One Step at a Time’. The general topic was ’Reflections on the Future’. St Paul’s is very proud of their participation!
ST PATRICK'S DAY
St Patrick's Day is coming up. On March 17th, Irish people all over the world celebrate this event, in many different countries. You may ask, Who was St Patrick? Below is a summarised story of his life and work.
St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity's most widely known figures. But for all his celebrity, his life remains somewhat of a mystery. Many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are false, the products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling.
Taken Prisoner By Irish Raiders
It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D. Although his father was a Christian deacon, it has been suggested that he probably took on the role because of tax incentives and there is no evidence that Patrick came from a particularly religious family. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. (There is some dispute over where this captivity took place. Although many believe he was taken to live in Mount Slemish in County Antrim, it is more likely that he was held in County Mayo near Killala.) During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.)
Guided By Visions
After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice-which he believed to be God's-spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland.
To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed he was held, to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation-an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than fifteen years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission-to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish. (Interestingly, this mission contradicts the widely held notion that Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland.)
Bonfires and Crosses
Familiar with the Irish language and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish. (Although there were a small number of Christians on the island when Patrick arrived, most Irish practiced a nature-based pagan religion. The Irish culture centered around a rich tradition of oral legend and myth. When this is considered, it is no surprise that the story of Patrick's life became exaggerated over the centuries-spinning exciting tales to remember history has always been a part of the Irish way of life.
EARTHQUAKE IN CHILE
Since my last article, our country has been struck by a tremendous earthquake. Fortunately my family and friends have had only minor problems but many of my countrymen and women are having a very difficult time to say the least. In my own city, Viña del Mar, many buildings, some of them brand new, have been declared unfit to inhabit, meaning their dwellers have had to be put up by relatives or frineds. Further south, a tidal wave swept over the seafront along the coast, causing the death of many and others who have disappeared. Whole seatowns have disappeared, houses have been swept away and ships and boats have been washed ashore, some of them deposited hundreds of metres inland. Unfortunately, all this situation has caused the worst of human nature to come to the fore in groups of people, and looting has devastated already quake-shocked homeowners and shopkeepers. A curfew has been established in several cities and towns, and this has helped contain vandalism. This had never been seen before, and I feel ashamed to think that some Chileans would behave in this manner, taking advantage of the misfortune of others. Stern measures are beginning to be taken, and I think the country applauds this firm action against looters and vandals. Many good people have gone out of their way to help their compatriots, and it seems so shocking to see people act against those who show human kindness.
I’m looking forward to seeing you all again on Monday! I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday and is dying to get down to work. I’m sure we’ll find lots to do, and lots to talk about when we see each other. 
WHY IS ENGLISH IMPORTANT TO YOU?
English, as we all know, is an all-important item in our cultural baggage. If you can’t communicate in English, you’ll always find yourself a step behind, figuratively speaking, from those who do manage it, with varying degrees of competence. It goes without saying that depending on your fluency in this language, your chances of job success in life are better or not as good.
I have always been a firm advocate of learning English and I have given good reasons to do it to many generations of pupils. I would love to know the reasons you have for learning the language, and would really enjoy reading your comments on this topic.
A GOOD DEFINITION OF TRUE SUCCESS
http://www.ted.com/talks/john_wooden_on_the_difference_between_winning_and_success.html
This wonderful talk reflects lots of aspects I completely agree with and have tried to put into practice during my teaching life. Mr. Wooden is an example of real, old-fashioned (the kind we were brought up on) and down-to-earth wisdom, values and life principles. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS
Now that New Year is coming up, it it time to reflect on the year that is about to end, and consider making a few resolutions to improve life for you and those around you in 2010. Some of the most popular New Year’s resolutions are the following:
a. Spend more time with family and friends.
b. Take more time to pamper yourself, with exercise which will make us feel much better with our own body and appearance.
c. Stop smoking if you smoke and/or other addictions.
d. Enjoy life more (remember we only have one)
e. Pay off your debts and remain out of debt.
f. Learn something new.
g. Help others.
h. Get organised.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Merry Christmas to everyone! I wish you all love and peace in abundance, now and in the new year.
FAMOUS QUOTES
Here is a selection of quotes which I truly believe in. Live life to the full, because we have no other. We only have one.
In the book of life, the answers aren’t in the back.
Charlie Brown
Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring.
Oscar Wilde
Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.
J. D. Salinger
The Catcher in the Rye, spoken by Mr. Spencer.
How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these.
George Washington Carver
Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.
Danny Kaye
The purpose of life is a life of purpose.
Robert Byrne
Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.
Lillian Dickson
Life is the sum of all your choices.
Albert Camus
Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.
Charles Schulz
You have abilities within you beyond your wildest dreams.
Hemal Radia
Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.
Judy Garland
A champion is someone who gets up, even when he can’t.
Author Unknown
What you are is God’s gift to you, what you make of yourself is your gift to God.
Jewish Proverb
You’ve got to follow your passion. You’ve got to figure out what it is you love--who you really are. And have the courage to do that. I believe that the only courage anybody ever needs is the courage to follow your own dreams.
Oprah Winfrey
Every great achievement was once considered impossible.
Author Unknown
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Lao Tzu
Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.
Chinese Proverb
Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.
Confucius
Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.
Mark Twain
Tell me what company you keep and I’ll tell you what you are.
Miguel de Cervantes
Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.
Scott Adams
It isn’t the mountains ahead that wear you out, it’s the grain of sand in your shoe.
Author Unknown
TOUCHING STORY
I found this story today, and I think it's so inspiring that I really ought to share it with you readers. Especially as we're nearing Christmas time, when I believe that noble feelings surface and many people's souls are at their best. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.
And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.
As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed.
One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their bath only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself.
He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."
Epilogue... There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can't buy.
"Today is a Gift, that's why it is called the present"
Unknown author
FUNNY SIGNS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
As you can see, it is extremely important to learn English properly!!!
OASIS OF THE SEAS
Wouldn’t you like to go on a cruise on the Oasis of the Seas? I’m sure it must be an awesome experience!
THE PALE BLUE DOT (Carl Sagan)
FUNNY ADVERTISEMENTS AND SIGNS
