29/10/2024 – 01/06/2025

The educational theme park Μια φορά κι έναν καιρό (“Once Upon a Time”) in Avlon, Attica, offered our schoolchildren a truly unforgettable experience today. Set in lush green surroundings, they caught a glimpse of life in a traditional village from a bygone era, played with animals, took part in sports and learnt how to live in harmony with nature. It was a day full of joy, fun and discovery!

Hamlet–A young prince
Ghost–Hamlet’s father
King Claudius–Hamlet’s uncle
Queen Gertrude–Hamlet’s mother
Ophelia–A kind girl
Polonius–Ophelia’s father
Horatio–Hamlet’s best friend
Laertes–Ophelia’s brother
HORATIO: Hamlet, come with me.
HAMLET: Why, Horatio? What’s wrong?
HORATIO: A ghost has appeared. He looks like your father!
HAMLET: A ghost? I must see him.
(The ghost appears.)
GHOST: Hamlet, my son.
HAMLET: Father! Is it really you?
GHOST: Yes. I was killed by your uncle.
HAMLET: Uncle Claudius?
GHOST: He poured poison in my ear while I was sleeping.
HAMLET: That’s terrible!
GHOST: Don’t forget. Be brave.
HAMLET: I will remember, Father.
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QUEEN GERTRUDE: Why do you look so sad, Hamlet?
HAMLET: My father died. And now you are married to my uncle!
KING CLAUDIUS: Cheer up, Hamlet. We are family now.
HAMLET (aside): You killed my father… I will find the truth.
KING CLAUDIUS: Hamlet knows too much. I must stop him.
POLONIUS: Ophelia, stay away from Hamlet. He’s strange.
OPHELIA: But I love him, Father.
POLONIUS: He doesn’t act like he loves you.
(Later)
OPHELIA: My lord Hamlet, are you well?
HAMLET: I once loved you… but not anymore.
OPHELIA: Why are you so cruel?
HAMLET: I will show a play about a king who is poisoned.
HORATIO: Good idea. Let’s watch the king’s face.
(Actors perform. Claudius looks afraid and leaves.)
HAMLET: Aha! He looks guilty. He did it!
HAMLET (to his mother): You shouldn’t have married him.
(He hears someone behind the curtain and stabs.)
HAMLET: Who’s there?
(He pulls the curtain—it is Polonius.)
HAMLET: Oh no! I killed the wrong man.
OPHELIA: Hamlet used to be kind. Now he is cold and angry. My heart is broken.
QUEEN GERTRUDE: Ophelia is not well.
HORATIO: She is very sad. She sings strange songs.
(Later)
QUEEN GERTRUDE: She has drowned in the river… Poor girl.
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KING CLAUDIUS: Laertes, fight Hamlet. I will help you win.
LAERTES: I want revenge for my father and sister.
HAMLET: I accept the fight.
(They fight. Everyone is hurt. The queen drinks poison by mistake.)
QUEEN GERTRUDE: Oh! The drink was poisoned!
HAMLET: The king did this!
(Hamlet stabs the king.)
HAMLET: The king is dead. I am dying too… Horatio, tell my story.
HORATIO: Hamlet was a brave prince. We’ll never forget him!
We were thrilled to know that our letters travelled all the way to another country and brought joy to an Irish classroom in Newbridge. This exchange means a lot to us—it helps build friendships and teaches us about each other’s traditions and way of life. We’re looking forward to keeping in touch and learning more about Ireland, with its rich history, vibrant culture and breathtaking landscapes!
The Irish words on the indoor poster mean: “Be kind, work hard and have fun!”
After Easter, to our surprise,
a white envelope caught our eyes!
It came from friends who live afar,
sent with love from where they are.
Though Easter Day had come and gone,
our smiles stayed wide, our joy went on!
The colourful cards and kind wishes, too,
made our day bright and shiny and new!
Vamvakophyto is located in Northern Greece, within the Region of Central Macedonia. It’s about 590 km (367 mi) from Athens and 88 km (55 mi) from Thessaloniki.
After Brexit, UK schools could no longer join the European eTwinning platform. However, this year we’ve been lucky enough to find a British school and start a lovely exchange.
Aspley Guise Village School is a small rural, community school very close to Luton and London.
After quite a long wait, the parcel with the children’s beautiful cards from England finally arrived—and we couldn’t have been happier!
A big thank you to the children and their teacher, Ms Sammy Kirby, for all the love and imagination they put into their wonderful creations!
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https://youtube.com/shorts/bZvD2ue33Ss?si=5Dz6p8znew4LOBVF
I am like a tiger—strong, determined, and full of courage. Just as a tiger moves through the jungle with confidence, I face challenges with a fearless spirit. My sharp mind and keen instincts make me a natural leader, always ready to take on new adventures. Like a tiger, I am both powerful and graceful, proving that strength comes not just from physical ability but from a heart full of determination and a mind full of dreams. I will keep roaring—the world is mine to conquer!
💪🐅
Below is a list of words that vary only by one having the sound /ɪ/
and the other the sound /i:/.
You can use this list to practise the sounds, or as a list of words to be careful in pronouncing.
As indicated by the /:/ part of its symbol, /i:/ is a longer sound than /ɪ/ and pronouncing it this way can help distinguish between the two in the pairs of words below. You will also notice, however, that /ɪ/ does not have a dot over it, making it a different mouth position from /i:/. The sound /i:/ is said with the mouth much more spread, something like a broad smile. This is why we say “cheese” rather than “chiz” (or “whizz”) when we take photos.
Retrieved from https://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/minimal-pairs-i-ee.php

bin bean
chip cheap
his he’s
it eat
sit seat

did deed
fill feel
fit feet
grin green
hit heat
is ease
mitt meet
slip sleep
still steal

bit beat
bitch beach
itch each
gin gene
grid greed
hid heed
hill he’ll
ill eel
kip keep
knit neat
lick leak
lip leap
mill meal
pick peek
piss piece
pitch peach
risen reason
shit sheet
sick seek
sin scene
sin seen
still steel
tin teen

bid bead
bitch beech
biz bees
chick cheek
chit cheat
dip deep
fist feast
fizz fees
hip heap
kid keyed
pill peel
pip peep
piss peace
sill seal
sim seem
skid skied
skim scheme
till teal
tizz teas

blip bleep
britches breeches
crick creek
din dean
finned fiend
flit fleet
gip jeep
grist greased
pit peat
sim seam
sip seep
shin sheen
skit skeet
slick sleek
slit sleet
tick teak
tit teat
tizz tease