So this is the end. In January 2012 we published a fake farewell post (for which quite a few of our students at that time fell), but this time it's for real.
After 15 years (this blog was started on 6th January 2009), over 1300 posts and a lot of hard work, this is our last publication and this blog is being discontinued. We won't be closing it down and all posts will continue to be available, but we won't be adding any new contents.
Thanks a lot for your time and attention. We appreciate your consideration during all these years and we wish you all the very best.
Yours, ever
Your teachers.
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.
This
year's best graduation speech is by 4 ESO A student Iván Cruz Fragueiro,
who has not only written a brilliant commencement address, but he has
delivered it in style and grace, with excellent pronunciation,
intonation and stance, and with remarkable composure, serenity and good
spirit. Congratulations!
As
usual, this student was the chosen one to speak on behalf of their 4 ESO
classmates at the graduation ceremony on Friday 21st June.
BE HAPPY WITHOUT HURTING ANYONE
Good afternoon, parents, classmates and teachers. Thank you for being here.
Today is a very special day for me and my classmates, so I will try to treat it like that, even being as nervous as I am about speaking in front of you all. Sorry for my possible babbling, by the way.
First, I would like to ask you something: have you ever felt scared? Not scared of a horror movie, but scared of the future, of the changes... Well, I have felt that way, and I am sure that most of you also have. So, what do you think if we try to fight that fear? When we were kids, we played to be adults. We wanted to grow up fast because we thought that adult life would be incredible, but now that we have grown, we are worried about the future. I am not one to give you advice, but I have seen that there is something that some of us curiously ignore: the present, and to understand the present, we need to remember the past first.
I hardly remember my first day at school, but I remember my first friends, my first teachers, my best and worst moments... All of these moments have something in common, the people you share them with. Because even in the worst moment and even if you are someone introvert, reserved, or shy like me, I can promise you that you will find somebody determined to help you, someone who tells you to go ahead because if things get tough, he or she will be with you. I am lucky to have a mentor like that: she is my mother because I couldn't have got where I am without her, so thank you, mum.
I would also like to thank some people for their support, their trust and their help. Thank you, Santi, for telling me what homework we had when I didn't have it written down; thank you, Diego, for all those times you made me laugh; thank you, Raúl, for your support in my bad moments; thank you, Paula, for being the best teacher; thank you, Pilar, for your History classes; thank you, Raquel and Álvaro, for trusting and believing in me; and thanks to all the teachers, classmates and everybody who, although I don’t have time to mention, I want you all to know that nothing of this would be possible without you.
And now, leaving this aside. I supposedly have to talk about the future, but do you remember what I said at the beginning of the speech? We have to live in the present without forgetting the future, because now that we remember the past, we know that in future troubles someone will be there to help us, and if there is no one, there will certainly be.
Also remember that you are your best partner, so don’t stay with people you don’t want to be with only for fear of being alone, and if you make a mistake, you can always try again, because even if it doesn’t turn out well, it’s worth trying.
After saying that, I have wishes and one more piece of advice: I wish you a happy and safe end-of-school trip, I wish you the best future you can imagine, I wish you a good summer... be happy without hurting anyone, that is my advice.
And finally, after this dense speech, I hope you enjoy the snacks and drinks served on the school yard.
Thank you so much for your attention.
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.
This is your PBL assignment for the 3rd term. It is a VOLUNTARY PBL.
You have to WRITE and DELIVER your GRADUATION SPEECH. You have to imagine you are going to stand in the school Assembly Hall before your teachers, classmates, parents and guests at your ESO graduation ceremony and deliver your speech, which must be at least 350 WORDS LONG.
The best student will be offered the chance to deliver his or her speech at your graduation ceremony... in English!! Of course, he or she will get extra points in the final mark for that effort.
In Christian tradition the Magi (pronounced /ˈmeɪdʒaɪ/; from the Greek: μάγοι, magoi, usually translated as "wise men", although it probably meant "astronomer" or "astrologer"... that is why they were following a star), also referred to as the (Three) Wise Men, (Three) Kings, or Kings from the East, are said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts.Traditions identify a variety of different names for the Magi. In the Western Christian church they have been commonly known since the 8th century as Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. In the Gospel of Matthew, the only one to describe the visit of the Magi, it states that they came "from the east" to worship the Christ, "born King of the Jews". Although Matthew does not mention their number, because three gifts are recorded as having been given to the Christ Child, traditionally there are thought to have been three Magi. The Magi, as the "Three Kings" or "Three Wise Men" are regular figures in traditional accounts of the nativity and in celebrations of Christmas.
A New Year's resolution is a commitment an individual makes to a project or the reforming of a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous. The name comes from the fact that these commitments normally go into effect on New Year’s Day and remain until fulfilled or abandoned. Labor students: Are you making any New Year's Resolutions for 2022? Maybe working harder at school? Spending less time on Tik-Tok or Instragram? Leave your comments and tell everybody what your resolutions for the New Year are!
As you all know, in Spain we eat twelve grapes at midnight. The actual countdown is primarily followed from the clock on top of the Correos building in Puerta del Sol square, Madrid. It is traditional to eat twelve grapes, on on each chime of the clock. This tradition has its origins in 1909, when grape growers in Alicante thought of it as a way to cut down on the large production surplus they had had that year. Nowadays the tradition is followed by almost every Spaniard, and the twelve grapes have become synonimous with the New Year. After the clock has finished striking twelve, people greet each other and toast with sparkling wine (such as champagane or cider).
Last year, King Charles III adressed his first Christmas speech to his country and the Commonwealth. Pay attention to his pronunciation, rhythm and entonation. Read the full transcript down below.
"I'm standing here in this exquisite chapel of St. George at Windsor Castle, so close to where my beloved mother the late Queen is laid to rest with my dear father. I'm reminded of the deeply touching letters, cards and messages which so many of you have sent my wife and myself, and I cannot thank you enough for the love and sympathy you have shown our whole family.
Christmas is a particularly poignant time for all of us who have lost loved ones. We feel their absence at every familiar turn of the season, and remember them in each cherished tradition.
Today is Boxing Day. No, it has nothing to do with the sport of fighting with the fists. This is the reason for the name:
A box, usually of earthenware, in which contributions of money were collected at Christmas, by apprentices, etc.; the box being broken when full, and the contents shared.
So, the name Boxing Day derives from the tradition of giving seasonal gifts, on the day after Christmas, to less wealthy people and social inferiors, which was later extended to various workpeople such as labourers and servants.
Recorded on August 22nd, 1966, "7 O'Clock News/Silent Night" is the twelfth and final track on "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme", a 1966 album by Simon and Garfunkel. The track consists of an overdubbing of two contrasting recordings: a simple arrangement of the Christmas carol "Silent Night", and a simulated "7 O'Clock News" bulletin of the actual events of 3 August 1966.
The word Advent comes from the Latin word for “arrival”: adventus. The celebration of Advent, whether with wreaths in church or calendars at home, marks the beginning of the Christmas period. It’s one of the major seasons celebrated by most Christian churches in the Western tradition: Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Lutherans, and many additional Protestant churches mark the roughly month-long period with special observance.
Most Advent calendars start on December 1st, but the actual first day of the Advent season changes every year.In 2023, that day is Sunday 3rd December. The final day is the same every year: December 24th, Christmas Eve — though many calendars run through Christmas Day.
The reason for the shifting start date is somewhat straightforward: as celebrated by Christian churches in the Western tradition (as opposed to Eastern Orthodox churches, which keep a different calendar), the season of Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and is celebrated on each successive Sunday leading up to Christmas.
Once Advent finishes, the 12 days of Christmas start... It is the period that in Christian theology marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi, the three wise men. It begins on December 25 (Christmas) and runs through January 6th (the Epiphany, sometimes also called Three Kings' Day).
International Men’s Day is recognised on the 19th November, it is marked in around 80 countries worldwide and provides an opportunity to consider some of the issues that may affect men in particular and the ways in which we can support their wellbeing. It also focuses on men’s health, improving gender relations, highlighting male role models, and promoting positive expressions of masculinity. It’s also an opportunity to recognize men who don’t fall into traditional manifestations of masculinity,
It’s generally accepted that men can find it more difficult than women to address issues relating to their physical or mental wellbeing and are less likely to seek help. For example, men are less likely to visit their GP or pharmacy than women (www.menshealthforum.org.uk) and research shows that only 50% of men feel comfortable discussing mental health issues (BITC, Mental Health at Work Report 2017).
He used to style himself as ‘the man from Madrid’, but with his hymn for Celta de Vigo, the bestselling star is also winning new fans in Galicia.
When Celta de Vigo start the new season this summer in La Liga, Spain’s top football tier, their fans will have a new club anthem to shake the foundations of their Balaídos stadium: Oliveira Dos Cen Anos by C Tangana, a rapper and singer whose El Madrileño was the bestselling album of 2021 in his native Spain.
From You’ll Never Walk Alone to Seven Nation Army, the crossover between football and popular music is well established. But the new Celta anthem is far from the Three Lions template of big choruses and simple singalongs. The song is the result of intense research and modern pop nous, fusing tradition and modernity to create what might be the most artistically ambitious football anthem ever.
Tangana, real name Antón Álvarez Alfaro, doesn’t actually sing on it, ceding the spotlight to Vigo’s Coral Casablanca choir, tambourine-wielding female vocal group Lagharteiras and Celta supporters’ club Tropas de Breogán. What’s more, the song leans heavily on the folklore of Galicia, the north-western region of Spain where Vigo is located. The song is in Galician – its title loosely translates as “100-year-old olive tree” – and uses the traditional rhythms and lyrics of Galician folk music. The song’s video, meanwhile, highlights the landscape of the Vigo estuary, including the island of San Simón and the Rande Bridge.
Tangana says he saw the song as an opportunity to create something that could transcend popular culture. “What cultural objects can you create that will change – or endure in – our culture?” he asks. “Although this is something local, around a city, that feeling of belonging to the club and the institution it represents, makes it a really strong opportunity for you to influence a lot of people.”
The origins of Celta’s new anthem – a himno in Spanish – were simple. In 2021 Celta used Twitter to ask supporters if anyone would like to compose a new anthem to celebrate the team’s 2023 centennial. Tangana, born in Madrid to a Celta-supporting Galician father and Andalusian mother, replied and the wheels were put in motion.
Composing the new anthem, however, was far from straightforward. Before putting pen to paper, Tangana carried out research with important figures in Galician culture, including writer Pedro Feijoo and folk musicians Rodrigo Romaní and Alfredo Dourado. Tangana says that the opportunity to immerse himself in Galician folklore “was like a gift to myself as an artist”.
“It is an anthem for a centennial,” he says. “Each element has to have the same weight: a centennial weight.”
From the various traditional ideas incorporated into the song, Tangana highlights the importance of the pandeireteiras and cantareiras (both groups of female singers, with the former, such as Lagharteiras, using tambourines). “This combination of female voices, always in a choir, almost never as soloists, playing percussion, all together, for me is the most moving thing there is musically in the whole world,” he says.
He himself is not fluent in Galician and writing a song in the language was a challenge. But he says it was important to stretch himself. “In the globalised world in which we live, with this obsession that everyone has to be the same, express ourselves in the same ways, make the same gestures […] cultural expressions that are very local for me have great value,” he says.
Tangana’s decision to write an anthem for RC Celta de Vigo initially caused confusion in Spain, with the artist closely linked to Madrid – El Madrileño translates as “the man from Madrid” – but the club’s fans were won round after the rapper explained his links to the club. What’s more, Tangana says he sees writing Oliveira Dos Cen Anos as part of the same process of fusing folk culture with modern production that he explored on El Madrileño, where flamenco music met Latin folk, rock, hip-hop and R&B, and on his hugely successful 2021 Tiny Desk performance for National Public Radio in the US, where he was joined by family members and musical collaborators for a performance that buzzed with the raw energy of a flamenco show.
“When I started to do international tours, spending a lot of time in the US and Latin America, I started to realise that I was missing something,” he says. “That made me turn towards the culture of Spain, towards cultural elements that had shaped my childhood and adolescence, and that I had given up on because I was looking at a screen or listening to music that came from other places.”
Galician vocal group Lagharteiras, who feature on Oliveira Dos Cen Anos. Photograph: Rocío Aguirre
In this, Tangana’s music is part of a wider trend in Spanish culture, where musicians are combining elements of musical folklore – from Rosalía’s use of the flamenco palmas to Maria Arnal i Marcel Bagés’ take on Catalan folk – with 21st-century production. “The music I listened to as a child, the records that my parents liked and my family listened to, who was singing at a fiesta, what you eat in a normal day in Spain, where you hang out, the way you interact with alcohol, parties, family, all that helped to shape El Madrileño,” Tangana says. “Finally I feel like I have an artistic identity that is related to me.”
Oliveira Dos Cen Anos is also firmly in the Spanish football tradition, whereby clubs commission local musicians to create bespoke anthems – such as FC Barcelona’s Cant del Barça – which are then taken up by fans.
Tangana says it is for RC Celta supporters to decide whether they want to sing Oliveira Dos Cen Anos on the terraces but the response so far has been very warm. And if they do sing his song when the first game of the new season kicks off in August? “I am a bit nervous,” Tangana says with a smile. “But to hear it in the stadium, in front of so many people, will be incredibly powerful.”
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.
This year's best graduation speech is by 4 ESO A student Lucas Antón Cortés who has not only written a brilliant commencement address, but he has delivered it in style and grace, and with excellent pronunciation, intonation and stance, and with remarkable composure, serenity and good spirit. Congratulations!
As usual, this student is the chosen one to speak on behalf of their 4 ESO classmates at the graduation ceremony to be held at 1 pm on Wednesday 21st June.
MISTAKES
Good afternoon to everyone and thank you so much for coming on such a special day!
Today is an exciting day, exciting because we are finally graduating in this amazing school. But it´s also a sad day, sad because we are leaving a place we all have shared for the last 13 years.
First, I want to say sorry because, as you can see, I´m nervous and I´ll probably make some mistakes. Well, you know what? I don’t care because that’s life, life is made up of mistakes. I’m sure that none of you is where you are thanks to making no mistakes, I’m completely sure that all of you are where you are thanks to loads of mistakes.
I still remember when I was a child and wanted to grow up, because when you’re a child, growing up is the most exciting thing in life and you just want to grow. Now that I´m not that young, I´ve realized that growing up is not as exciting as it was and that we must stop thinking about tomorrow and start thinking about today. We must enjoy this time of our lives because the teens are the best years in life. I’m sure that your best anecdotes are from your adolescence and that, if you could, you’d give anything to get back to your teens, even only for one day.
Putting memories aside, I would like to say thanks, obviously, to my mother and my father. They´ve raised me to be a good person and have always helped me always with any problem. To my brother and my sister. They are everything for me, they have always been there when I needed them. I’d also like to thank all my friends; in part, this wouldn’t be possible without them. I’d love to thank them individually, but that would take all day.
I’d also like to thank some teachers: Álvaro, thanks for teaching us the importance of English and that we have to translate ideas, not words. Javi, thanks for those whole classes talking about the bitcoin. Pilar, thanks for teaching us History and for those classes telling you our anecdotes. Manolo, thanks for teaching us Physics and Chemistry and that when being clean and organised you´re half way to pass. Leo, thanks for 2 teaching us Technology, Technical drawing, etc. And why Microsoft Word 2003 is the best one in life. Of course, Marta and Hugo, because even though we haven´t known you for a long time, it looks like we do. In general, I’d like to thank you all for being so patient with us in these 13 years here and for being, instead of our teachers, our friends.
But let´s stop talking about the past, let’s talk about the future. Well, I don’t really know what to say about the future, because I don’t know what I want. I thought that I knew, but I was wrong, but that´s OK, life is made up of mistakes. It doesn’t really matter if you fail, nobody is going to remember your mistakes in the future, so fail once, twice, no matter how many times, just fail. You learn more from mistakes than from success.
I don’t like to say this, but this is probably our last day together, in this amazing school, so I can only wish you one thing, good luck in life my friends, I’m sure life will smile at you.
But don’t get sad, as I’ve said before, we have to live the present, so please enjoy the snacks and drinks served on the schoolyard.
Thank you so much for being here today. So long.
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.
RC Celta had a monumental task on their hands needing to beat Barcelona to be sure of 1t Division safety and not need to rely on other results. They did just that! Emotional scenes at Estadio Balaidos following the huge result.
Don't forget you can have subtitles pressing the second icon at the bottom of the screen.
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only
Star Wars Day is an informal commemorative day observed annually on May 4 to celebrate George Lucas' Star Wars media franchise. Observance of the day spread quickly through media since the franchise began in 1977.
The date originated from the pun "May the Fourth be with you", a variant of the popular Star Wars catchphrase "May the Force be with you". Even though the holiday was not created or declared by Lucasfilm, many Star Wars fans across the world have chosen to celebrate the holiday. It has since been embraced by Lucasfilm and parent company Disney as an annual celebration of Star Wars.
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.
April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is a day celebrated in many countries on April 1st. The day is named for the custom of playing practical jokes and hoaxes of varying sophistication on friends, family members, enemies, and neighbours, or sending them on a fool's errand, the aim of which is to embarrass the gullible. Traditionally, in some countries, such as the UK, Australia and South Africa the jokes only last until noon, and someone who plays a trick after noon is called an "April Fool". Elsewhere, such as in Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Russia, The Netherlands, and the U.S., the jokes last all day.
Daylight saving time (DST)—also summer time in several countries, in British English, and European official terminology—is the practice of advancing clocks so that evenings have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour near the start of spring and are adjusted backward in autumn.
When DST starts in central Europe, clocks advance from 02:00 CET to 03:00 CEST.
Though mentioned by Benjamin Franklin in 1784, the modern idea of daylight saving was first proposed in 1895 by and it was first implemented during the First World War. Many countries have used it at various times since then.
St. Patrick's Day is a global celebration of Irish culture on or around 17th March. It particularly remembers St Patrick, one of Ireland's patron saints, who ministered Christianity in Ireland during the fifth century.
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in many parts of the world, especially by Irish communities and organizations. Many people wear an item of green clothing on the day. Parties featuring Irish food and drinks that are dyed in green food colour are part of this celebration.
It is a time when children can indulge in sweets and adults can enjoy a "pint" of beer at a local pub. Many restaurants and pubs offer Irish food or drink.
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.
