Posted in 6th Grade, Computer-Assisted Language Learning, Projects, Public Education

VIDEO ΜΕ ΣΥΝΘΗΜΑΤΑ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΝΔΟΣΧΟΛΙΚΗΣ ΒΙΑΣ

Στο πλαίσιο των δράσεων του Δημοτικού Σχολείου Σούρπης για την πρόληψη κατά της ενδοσχολικής βίας, οι μαθητές της Στ΄ Δημοτικού εμπνεύστηκαν και αποτύπωσαν σε βίντεο τα μηνύματα και τα συνθήματά τους! Η λήψη των εικόνων πραγματοποιήθηκε εντός του Δημοτικού Σχολείου Σούρπης με υπεύθυνη την εκπαιδευτικό Αγγλικής Γλώσσας Παρασκευή Χαμηλού, τα συνθήματα προτάθηκαν από όλους τους μαθητές της Στ΄ Τάξης, ενώ στο βίντεο εμφανίζονται οι μαθητές και οι μαθήτριες που έχουν γονική συναίνεση για τη δημοσίευση φωτογραφιών τους στο διαδίκτυο. Απολαύστε το!

Posted in 5th Grade, 6th Grade, Computer-Assisted Language Learning, My Schools' English Newspapers, Projects

ΣΧΟΛΙΚΗ ΕΦΗΜΕΡΙΔΑ ΣΤΑ ΑΓΓΛΙΚΑ – ΔΗΜΟΤΙΚΟ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟ ΣΟΥΡΠΗΣ – 2ο ΤΕΥΧΟΣ

etwinning

Με πολύ όρεξη και μεράκι, ολοκληρώθηκε το 2ο τεύχος της σχολικής μας εφημερίδας στα Αγγλικά! Μαζί με τους Ευρωπαίους φίλους μας, παρουσιάσαμε με κείμενα, ζωγραφιές και φωτογραφίες τα σχολεία μας, σε μια προσπάθεια να γνωριστούμε ακόμη καλύτερα, να διευρύνουμε τους ορίζοντές μας και να εξασκηθούμε στα Αγγλικά! Δείτε εδώ το δεύτερο τεύχος της εφημερίδας μας “The European Schools Newspaper”.

Posted in 5th Grade, 6th Grade, Computer-Assisted Language Learning, My Schools' English Newspapers, Projects

ΣΧΟΛΙΚΗ ΕΦΗΜΕΡΙΔΑ ΣΤΑ ΑΓΓΛΙΚΑ – ΔΗΜΟΤΙΚΟ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟ ΣΟΥΡΠΗΣ – 1ο ΤΕΥΧΟΣ

Συνεχίζοντας την περσινή παράδοση της δημιουργίας σχολικής εφημερίδας στα αγγλικά, οι μαθητές των τριών τελευταίων τάξεων του σχολείου μας ένωσαν τις δυνάμεις τους για το πρώτο τεύχος που είναι ήδη έτοιμο! Φέτος, το κάθε τεύχος ολοκληρώνεται σε συνεργασία με άλλα Ευρωπαϊκά σχολεία και είναι θεματικό. Στα πλαίσια του Ευρωπαϊκού προγράμματος eTwinning, υποβάλαμε και συμμετέχουμε στο project που ονομάζεται The European Schools Newspaper και, σε συνεργασία με άλλα σχολεία της Ευρώπης, δημιουργούμε το κάθε τεύχος που, κάθε φορά, θα επικεντρώνεται σε ένα θέμα!

Our eTwinning label!
Our eTwinning label!

Το θέμα του πρώτου τεύχους είναι All about me! Οι μαθητές της Ευρώπης συστήνονται μεταξύ τους και παρουσιάζουν τον εαυτό τους με λόγια, ζωγραφιές ή/και φωτογραφίες! Δείτε παρακάτω το απόσπασμα του πρώτου τεύχους που συνεισέφεραν οι μαθητές του σχολείου μας:

Δείτε το στο slideshare.net

Κι επειδή 5 σελίδες δεν είναι αρκετές να χωρέσουν όλα τα άρθρα των παιδιών που συνεισέφεραν, δείτε παρακάτω τα άρθρα όλων των παιδιών, όπως αυτά παραδόθηκαν σε μας:

Δείτε το στο slideshare.net

Διαβάστε εδώ το πρώτο συνεργατικό τεύχος μας!

Posted in 5th Grade, 6th Grade, Computer-Assisted Language Learning, Projects, Public Education

ΑΛΛΗΛΟΓΡΑΦΙΑ ΣΤΑ ΑΓΓΛΙΚΑ ΜΕ ΜΑΘΗΤΕΣ ΑΠΟ ΤΗΝ ΤΟΥΡΚΙΑ – ΔΗΜ. ΣΧ. ΠΤΕΛΕΟΥ

Με την έναρξη της φετινής σχολικής χρονιάς, οι μαθητές των τριών τελευταίων τάξεων του Δημοτικού Σχολείου Πτελεού συμμετέχουν στο Ευρωπαϊκό πρόγραμμα eTwinning με το project που ονομάζεται “Pen-Pals in Action”. Οι μαθητές του σχολείου μας ανταλλάσσουν έντυπη αλληλογραφία στα αγγλικά με μαθητές από δημοτικό σχολείο της Τουρκίας, προκειμένου να γνωρίσουν τον τρόπο ζωής ο ένας του άλλου, το σχολείο, τις παραδόσεις, τα έθιμα και τη χώρα!

Our eTwinning label!
Our eTwinning label!

Εκτός από τα γράμματα, οι μαθητές μας έχουν εγγραφεί στην ασφαλή διαδικτυακή πλατφόρμα Twinspace, προκειμένου να παρουσιάσουν τον εαυτό τους στα αγγλικά, να έρθουν σε ηλεκτρονική επαφή με τους συνομηλίκους τους στην Τουρκία (με email ή με συνομιλία) και να παρακολουθούν τις εξελίξεις του project.

Τα πρώτα μας γράμματα έχουν ήδη αποσταλεί στην Τουρκία και περιμένουμε με ανυπομονησία την απάντηση των συνεργατών μας! Στην πρώτη μας συναλλαγή, γράψαμε γράμματα, εσωκλείσαμε μικρά δωράκια και στείλαμε τσάι του βουνού από την περιοχή μας, προκειμένου να γνωρίσουν οι φίλοι μας ένα τοπικό προϊόν που εκτιμούμε πολύ όλοι οι Έλληνες! Δείτε παρακάτω στιγμιότυπα από τη διαδικασία και δείγμα των όσων στείλαμε!

Δείτε το στο slideshare.net
Posted in 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, Computer-Assisted Language Learning, My Schools' English Newspapers, Public Education

ΣΧΟΛΙΚΗ ΕΦΗΜΕΡΙΔΑ ΣΤΑ ΑΓΓΛΙΚΑ – ΔΗΜΟΤΙΚΟ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟ ΣΟΥΡΠΗΣ

Συνεχίζοντας την περσινή παράδοση της δημιουργίας σχολικής εφημερίδας στα αγγλικά, οι μαθητές των τριών τελευταίων τάξεων του σχολείου μας ένωσαν τις δυνάμεις τους για το πρώτο τεύχος που είναι ήδη έτοιμο! Φέτος, το κάθε τεύχος ολοκληρώνεται σε συνεργασία με άλλα Ευρωπαϊκά σχολεία και είναι θεματικό. Στα πλαίσια του Ευρωπαϊκού προγράμματος eTwinning, υποβάλαμε και συμμετέχουμε στο project που ονομάζεται The European Schools Newspaper και, σε συνεργασία με άλλα σχολεία της Ευρώπης, δημιουργούμε το κάθε τεύχος που, κάθε φορά, θα επικεντρώνεται σε ένα θέμα!

Our eTwinning label!
Our eTwinning label!

Το θέμα του πρώτου τεύχους είναι All about me! Οι μαθητές της Ευρώπης συστήνονται μεταξύ τους και παρουσιάζουν τον εαυτό τους με λόγια, ζωγραφιές ή/και φωτογραφίες! Δείτε παρακάτω το απόσπασμα του πρώτου τεύχους που συνεισέφεραν οι μαθητές του σχολείου μας:

Δείτε το στο slideshare.net

Κι επειδή 5 σελίδες δεν είναι αρκετές να χωρέσουν όλα τα άρθρα των παιδιών που συνεισέφεραν, δείτε παρακάτω τα άρθρα όλων των παιδιών, όπως αυτά παραδόθηκαν σε μας:

Δείτε το στο slideshare.net
Posted in 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, Computer-Assisted Language Learning, My Schools' English Newspapers, Public Education

Η ΣΧΟΛΙΚΗ ΜΑΣ ΕΦΗΜΕΡΙΔΑ ΣΤΑ ΑΓΓΛΙΚΑ – ΔΗΜΟΤΙΚΟ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟ ΣΟΥΡΠΗΣ

Τις περισσότερες φορές, η ανάθεση γραπτών εργασιών στο σπίτι προκαλεί τη δυσανασχέτηση των μαθητών και αυξάνει το άγχος τους να ανταπεξέλθουν στις απαιτήσεις του σχολείου, πολύ περισσότερο δε όταν πρόκειται για συγγραφή κειμένου στα αγγλικά! Εκτός από την αρνητική διάθεση, στο μυαλό των περισσότερων μαθητών η γραπτή εργασία είναι κάτι που απευθύνεται στον δάσκαλο που θα τη διαβάσει, θα τη βαθμολογήσει και θα τη συνυπολογίσει στην αξιολόγηση του τριμήνου.

Σε μια προσπάθεια να κάνουμε τη διαδικασία αυτή καταρχήν πιο ευχάριστη, και κατά δεύτερον πιο ουσιαστική, αποφασίσαμε από κοινού με τους μαθητές των Δ’, Ε’ και Στ’ Τάξεων του Δημοτικού Σχολείου Σούρπης να προχωρήσουμε στην έκδοση σχολικής εφημερίδας στα Αγγλικά! Έτσι, τα άρθρα–εργασίες των μαθητών μας αποκτούν πραγματικό αναγνωστικό κοινό και η συγγραφή κειμένων αποκτά πραγματικό στόχο, που προσομοιάζει στη συγγραφή κειμένων όπως αυτή συντελείται στην καθημερινή μας ζωή.

Οι βασικοί παιδαγωγικοί και διδακτικοί στόχοι ενός τέτοιου εγχειρήματος αποσκοπούν στη βελτίωση της παραγωγής γραπτού λόγου, αλλά και στην εξοικείωση των μαθητών με διαφορετικά είδη γραπτού λόγου (άρθρο, δοκίμιο, ποίημα, κτλ). Εκτός όμως από την εξοικείωση των παιδιών με το περιεχόμενο και το ύφος ανάλογα με είδος του γραπτού κειμένου, προωθούνται και άλλοι, δευτερεύοντες, αλλά εξίσου σημαντικοί στόχοι. Καταρχήν, επιδιώκεται η συνεργασία με τους συμμαθητές τόσο για την έρευνα, όσο και για την συγγραφή των κειμένων, συμβάλλοντας έτσι στην κοινωνικοποίηση, αλλά και την αύξηση της αυτοπεποίθησης των μαθητών μας. Επίσης, τα παιδιά έχουν τη δυνατότητα να εξοικειωθούν με τη χρήση του internet, του κειμενογράφου, της εγκυκλοπαίδειας και του λεξικού.

Επιδιώκοντας να προσδώσουμε μια πιο αληθινή διάσταση στη συγγραφή της εφημερίδας μας, το Δημοτικό Σχολείο Σούρπης εντάχθηκε στο πρόγραμμα ηλεκτρονικής αδελφοποίησης Ευρωπαϊκών σχολείων eTwinning. Υποβάλλοντας το σχεδιασμό ενός project με την ονομασία “We’ve got news for you”, καλέσαμε άλλα Ευρωπαϊκά σχολεία που εκδίδουν σχολικές εφημερίδες στα αγγλικά σε μια ανταλλαγή εφημερίδων, με σκοπό να προσομοιάσουμε τη συγγραφή κειμένων όπως αυτή συντελείται στην πραγματικότητα, με στόχο, αλλά και συγκεκριμένο αναγνωστικό κοινό. Στην προσπάθειά μας αυτή βρήκαμε συνεργάτες και έχει ήδη ξεκινήσει η ανταλλαγή σχολικών εντύπων στα αγγλικά. Τα συνεργαζόμενα σχολεία είναι: Szkoła Podstawowa nr 19 im. Bohaterów Westerplatte, Πολωνία, 75.YIL ORTAOKULU, Τουρκία, Colegio Jesús María Burgos, Ισπανία, ICS «E. De Amicis-S. Altamura» di Foggia, Ιταλία, Korkuteli Osman Onal Primary School , Τουρκία, Senlikİlkokulu, Τουρκία, Yeşilbayır Primary School, Τουρκία, Zespół Szkól nr 1, Πολωνία, ZŠ a MŠ Chrášťany, Δημοκρατία της Τσεχίας, Şcoala cu clasele I-VIII «Constantin Brancoveanu», Satu Mare, Ρουμανία.

Επίσης, στα άμεσα σχέδιά μας και έπειτα από επιθυμία των μαθητών, έχει δρομολογηθεί συνέντευξη από εκδότη εφημερίδας, που θα ενημερώσει τους μικρούς μας δημοσιογράφους για το επάγγελμα αυτό, τις χαρές και τις δυσκολίες του, τη ζωή που επιφυλάσσει για όποιον το ασκεί και, γενικότερα, τους μύθους και την πραγματικότητα που κρύβονται πίσω από αυτό. Συγκεκριμένα, έχουν γίνει επαφές με τον δημοσιογράφο και εκδότη της τοπικής εφημερίδας «Ο ΛΑΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΑΛΜΥΡΟΥ», κ. Γεώργιο Τσιντσίνη, οι μαθητές ανυπομονούν για τη συνέντευξη αυτή και βρίσκονται στη διαδικασία σύνταξης των ερωτήσεων που θα υποβάλλουν στον προαναφερόμενο δημοσιογράφο/εκδότη.

Η αγγλική εφημερίδα του Δημοτικού Σχολείου Σούρπης ονομάζεται “S-O-URPRISE”! Αποσκοπώντας στην μεγαλύτερη εξοικείωση των μαθητών μας με την τεχνολογία, δίνεται και ηλεκτρονική διάσταση στην εφημερίδα μας μέσα από το σχολικό ιστολόγιο (blog) που δημιουργήσαμε, όχι μόνο για την προβολή των άρθρων που συγγράψαμε, αλλά και για την προβολή άλλων εργασιών και εκδηλώσεων του σχολείου μας. Οι μαθητές πληκτρολογούν οι ίδιοι τα περισσότερα από τα συγκεντρωθέντα άρθρα, ενώ στο σχολικό ιστολόγιο προβάλλονται όλες οι υποβληθείσες προτάσεις για την σχολική εφημερίδα, ακόμα και αυτές που δεν συμπεριλαμβάνονται στην έντυπη έκδοση της εφημερίδας μας!

Δείτε εδώ το πρώτο τεύχος της αγγλικής σχολικής μας εφημερίδας:

Δείτε το στο slideshare.net
Posted in 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, EFL Teacher Resources, Public Education

CARNIVAL AND HALLOWEEN CRAFTS AND DECORATIONS

The Greek carnival is usually celebrated at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, Halloween, though, is celebrated on October 31st! There are major differences between the Greek carnival celebration and Halloween celebration, but there is surely one thing they have in common: dressing-up!

In terms of dressing-up, Halloween seems to be all about spooky costumes, whereas the Greek carnival appears to fulfil our dream of transforming into anything we desire! Whether it is Halloween or Carnival, every year, we, teachers, try to find crafts we can do with our learners in class! Here you will find an assortment of sites that abound in crafts, decorations, coloring pages, costume ideas, treats recipes and printables! Have fun with your learners at school and don’t forget your kids at home! You can have so much fun with them!

Ματιά (Carnival crafts and costumes ideas!)

Hartaetoi (Carnival crafts with pictures!)

EnchantedLearning.com (great, easy to make crafts!)

AllCrafts.net (Halloween crafts, decorations, even treats recipes!)

DLTK’s Holiday Crafts for Kids (Frankenstein, ghost, vampire, witch, owl crafts …)

ActivityVillage (Skeletons, witches, bats and cats, pumpkins of all sorts, candy corn, monsters and ghosts too, so with well over 80 craft ideas here you should find something that is just the right amount of spooky for you!)

AllFreeCrafts (Here you can find crafts and decorations, Halloween recipes, party ideas and Halloween games, Halloween costumes and makeup, as well as printables!)

FamilyCorner.com (Crafts, decorations, recipes … you can try them at home with your kids, too!)

FreeKidsCrafts.com (Halloween printables, recycled crafts, costume ideas and food crafts!)

CraftBits.com (Halloween crafts, project ideas, decorations and wreaths!)

AllKidsNetwork (Halloween crafts for kids of all ages!)

42 Super Easy Halloween Craft Ideas (Wonderful and easy-to-make crafts for classrooms and families!)

20 Kid-friendly Halloween decorations (last-minute crafts, perfect for at-home or in the classroom)

Here is the video we normally watch at school to find out how Halloween is celebrated in Britain:

 

Posted in 6th Grade, Projects, Public Education

Art Exhibition – The fall of Icarus – Primary School of Pteleos, Greece

Our 6th grade English coursebook introduces – or, even better, brings back to our memory – the myth of Daedalus and Icarus (Unit 4).

On p. 46, learners are invited to make their own painting of the fall of Icarus, having first commented on Pieter Brueghel’s painted landscape with the fall of Icarus, which was created in 1558 (oil on canvas, Musées Royaux des Beaux-arts de Belgique, Brussels), as well as a related poem.

Here are our learners’ pieces of art (Primary School of Pteleos)!

Posted in 5th Grade, 6th Grade, My Schools' English Newspapers

ENGLISH SCHOOL NEWSPAPER – ISSUE 3 – PRIMARY SCHOOL OF PTELEOS

Since the beginning of this school year, the Primary School of Pteleos has been involved in an eTwinning project that includes exchanging English school newspapers with other European Primary Schools ( St Mary’s Primary Duntocher, Clydebank, United Kingdom, Ulubatlı Hasan İlköğretim Okulu, Kocaeli, Turkey, Szkoła Podstawowa nr 1 im. Feliksa Nowowiejskiego w Barczewie, Barczewo, Poland, Samanyolu Ilköğretim Okulu , Ankara, Turkey and Öğretmen Mediha Mehmet Tetikol İlköğretim Okulu, Tekirdağ, Turkey. Their English school paper is called «Our World» (see their first issue here and their second issue here) and their third issue is ready! You can enjoy it here: APRIL ISSUE (3) – OUR WORLD – PRIMARY SCHOOL OF PTELEOS. You can also download the small magazine we issued along with the third issue of our newspaper “Our World” , written by our 2nd graders in their native language of course: WRITING ABOUT PTELEOS.

Posted in 6th Grade, School Paper Articles

BACK THEN, I USED TO … – English School Paper, April 2011 Issue

BACK THEN, I USED TO …
(by our 6th graders)

Our 6th grade English course book invites learners to share with us their memories from the time when they were 4, 5 or even 7 years old. Here is what they wrote!!!

BACK THEN, I USED TO …
by Bill Tsouvalias

This is a photo of me when I was 5 years old. At that age I used to go to my grandfather’s village. I used to swim with him.

I like that place a lot because I made a lot of friends there. My grandparents and I were very happy. When my family and I were there, my grandfather used to tell me stories to sleep. We also used to make sandcastles on the beach.

Now, whenever I go to my grandparents’ place I feel sad and I want to cry, because I love them more than anyone in the world!

BACK THEN, I USED TO …
by Chryssa Papalexopoulou

When I was 4 years old I was a lovely child. I didn’t have to think about the problems that the world had. I was a sweet girl and I always used to have a shiny smile on my face.

That period was my favourite! I learnt how to swim. My dad was my teacher and I was a good student! He taught me how to be relaxed in the sea and how to dive in an amazing way. We had fun and, although I was a little bit scared, I’ll never forget it!

I love my family because they taught me how to live in this difficult world. I will never forget that experience, but I have many more experiences to explore with my family. I will love them forever!

BACK THEN, I USED TO …
by Marilena Louska

These are both photos of me when I was 5 years old. When I was 5 years old I was very happy because I used to live with my grandparents. My cousins and I used to walk and we used to go on trips with our friends.

We used to go to school at 8:00 in the morning and we came back home at 13:00. My grandma used to make lunch. We used to go to my aunt’s house and we were playing volleyball, handball, football, etc. My sister used to live with my mum and dad then.

I had fun when I was 5 years old, because I used to go to parties and on trips with my grandparents and cousins.

BACK THEN, I USED TO …
by Evaggelia Zaharaki

First of all, when I was five years old, I used to cry, but now I do funny things and I laugh a lot. Back then, I used to play with my friends, but now I do not have so many friends. Also, when I was five years old, I used to make sandcastles, but now I spend my time chatting with my parents and family. Finally, when I was five years old, I used to believe in Father Christmas, but now I don’t!

BACK THEN, I USED TO …
by Natasha Hassioti

When I was 4 years old, I used to drink a lot of milk. I used to sleep a lot, like all children do. I used to go on holidays with my parents and my sister. I used to play in the park with my sister. I didn’t know many words, although I could speak! That period was my favourite. I learnt how to ride a bike. I was so happy!

BACK THEN, I USED TO …
by Julie Alamanioti

When I was 4 years old, I used to be a very sweet girl. I used to live with my parents and grandparents, too. Now, I live only with my parents. I used to go to the zoo when I was 4 years old and I used to go to the playground, too. My mum used to tell me that I shouldn’t touch any animals, but I didn’t listen to her and one animal hit me and I started to cry. Some days I used to go to my grandparents’ house and, whenever I was not very happy, my grandmother used to give me a present!

BACK THEN, I USED TO …
by Christina Argyriou

When I was 7 years old, I used to go to my grandmother’s cottage near the sea. I liked the sea very much. On the beach I used to tell a lot of tales with my friends. In the afternoon, I used to walk near the sea with my boyfriend, Spyros, and we used to make sandcastles and collect shells. In the evening my father used to go to places by boat and look at the moon. Those were very happy days.

Posted in 6th Grade, School Paper Articles

INTERVIEW WITH AN ARCHITECT – English School Paper, April 2011 Issue

Our 4th grade English course book invites learners to take an interview from a person who does any kind of job. Our 4th grade learners decided to take an interview from a local architect.

Interview with an Architect
by Vasso Boukorou and Zoe Gerogiakomou (4th grade)

In March we took an interview from Ms. Christina Theodororopoulou who is an architect. We want to find more information, because the job of the architect is interesting.

Do you only have work in Magnesia? If not, do you have more to do in Magnesia or somewhere else? I work everywhere, but more in Magnesia.

What does inspire you to sketch a house? I always have an idea of the place where the house will be. If the building is on a mountain or in the sea, the design will change.

How many years must someone study to do this job? In Greece, it takes five years. You can also have postgraduate studies which is for two more years or you can get a specialty.

Was the university difficult? No, it wasn’t very difficult. The lessons of the examinations were complex. There was not much theoretical examination, but there was a lot of sketching.

Is it difficult for someone to find a job as an architect? No, it isn’t difficult. You can work on your own, in a company, or work as a municipal clerk.

Can an architect decorate a house? Yes, of course he or she can decorate a house. S/he can change the colours, the furniture arrangement, the lights, s/he can even sketch new furniture.

Is it lucrative this job? It can be a lucrative job if one works with building licenses, renovations of houses and decorations.

Do you cooperate well with the workers? Yes, I cooperate very well with the workers because the sketches are easy to understand and we learn from each other.

Do you wear special clothes when you supervise the workers? Special clothes are not necessary. They have to be comfortable and casual. In big construction areas it is necessary to have a helmet on your head.

How many hours do you work per day? It actually depends on how much work you have to do, but it is definitely more than 8 hours.

Which is the most important sketch you have made? It’s the Museum of the Senses, which allows visitors to touch its surface and change it depending on their feelings at that moment.

Have you also designed other big buildings? I have designed two hotels. One of them is on the mountain and the other one is near the sea.

We would like to thank Ms Theodoropoulou for kindly and willingly answering our questions!

Posted in 6th Grade, Projects, School Paper Articles

EASTER CUSTOMS – English School Paper, April 2011 Issue

EASTER CUSTOMS
by our 5th graders

Our school participates this year in an eTwinning project that involves learners in exchanging customs and traditional dances with other European schools. For the upcoming exchange, our 5th grade learners have prepared presentations of the Greek Easter customs and of other information related to Easter that they looked up on the internet!

Easter in Greece
by Valentina Velikova

During Easter week Greek people do not eat meat, fish or milk. They go to the church every afternoon.

On Easter Thursday Greek housewives dye red eggs and bake ‘’tsoureki’’, a traditional sweet bread. At night, women decorate Christ’s Epitaph with beautiful flowers.

On Easter Friday night the Epitaph goes around the village or town, followed by people who hold candles. This is like a funeral, so everybody is sad.

On Easter Saturday we go to church at night and at 12 at midnight we celebrate Christ’s resurrection. Then, we go home and eat “magiritsa’’, a soup with animal liver, lungs and intestines. It sounds disgusting, but it is really tasty!

On Easter Sunday we roast a lamb and we hit each other’s red eggs. We listen to music and we dance. We usually celebrate Easter Sunday with our family.

Easter Sunday in Greece
by Kosmas Gourgiotis

At Easter I go to the church. After that, I help my dad to roast the lamb. Then, we light a fire to roast it. We eat the lamb, but we also eat ‘kokoretsi’ and ‘kontosoufli’ with my parents. We drink wine and hit each other’s egg. Some people shoot with a gun in the air. I drink coca cola. At the end of the lunch we dance.

Easter in Skiathos
by John Kalantzis

Skiathos is one of the few areas in Greece that follows the Easter ritual of Agion Oros (a Greek area full of Orthodox monasteries with monks – women are not allowed in).

About 4:00 in the morning of the Easter Saturday, the Epitaphs from the two churches are carried out and they pass around the town.

The Epitaphs go along the narrow streets and paths of the island. People in all the houses have turned on the lights. The frankincense smells great! The two Epitaphs come back and meet at the church of the ‘Three Hierarchs’ and all the people come together and continue passing around as a group. They all go back to the churches at about 5:30 in the morning.

The people in the morning get ready for the Easter Saturday night celebration that is the Christ’s resurrection.

The red eggs
by Helen Kaltsouni

The red eggs of Easter. The eggs are a symbol of life and birth in many cultures. Especially the red eggs have been used in celebrations in China from the 5th century and in Egypt from the 10th century. It is in the 17th century that we find them in Christians and Mohammedans. For the early Christians the red egg is the symbol for Christ’s resurrection. In the Middle Ages people dyed red eggs to give them as presents for Easter.

Easter eggs with red colour. Some believe that people dye red eggs as a memory of the Christ’s blood, which He poured out for us, the people. Red is the colour of pleasure too. For some people, it is a symbol for the pleasure for Christ’s resurrection. The dying of the eggs was done on Easter Thursday, so it also called Red Thursday. In the past, the saucepan where they dyed the eggs had to be new and the number of the eggs had to be certain and they kept the red paint for forty days and they didn’t pour it out of the house. The colours for the eggs were made from different plants, like onions, poppies, violets etc. But the red colour was and is always the most favourite colour for the Easter eggs. Nowadays, most housewives use some kind of powder they buy from the supermarkets, giving thus the eggs a vivid red colour.

Natural decals. In the old times they chose leaves from plants and flowers and they put one of them on each egg. Then, they rolled up an old sock all over the egg, which they made secure with a string and then they dyed the Easter eggs.

The first dyed red egg. In the past, the first egg which they had dyed was for Virgin Mary and they put it at the shrine. Holding the egg, they were forming a cross in the air in front of the children to protect them from the evil eyes.

The resurrection of Jesus
by George Papargiris

Every Easter Saturday morning we go to the church. After the church the housewives make mageiritsa, a traditional Easter soup. The men prepare the lamb for Easter Sunday. In the evening we go again to the church and we celebrate Christ’s resurrection by lighting our candles with the Holy Flame. Then, we go home and form a cross on the upper part of our house door frame for good luck. After that, we enjoy our dinner as the fasting period is over. In the morning we go to the church. After the church we cook the lamb. At noon we eat the lamb and we drink wine. Easter is a very big celebration.

Easter rabbits
by Danae Xiromeriti

The Easter rabbit was actually a bunny. For the Saxons the bunny was the symbol of the goddess Eastre, who was celebrated in spring. This is where the word ‘Easter’ comes from in English. For the Kelts and Scandinavians, the bunny is the symbol of the goddess of motherhood and the spring fertility. The traditional bunny which brings eggs to children is of German origin. In Greece, every child’s godmother buys him or her a chocolate Easter bunny or egg. Do you know what they offer in some other countries?

In Australia they offer chocolate roosters.
In Sweden they offer chocolate foxes.
In France they offer chocolate bells.
In Great Britain they offer chocolate bunnies.

The Sunday before Easter
by Valentina Velikova

On Sunday before Easter we celebrate the entrance of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem. All of the churches are decorated with bay tree leaves and olive tree leaves. People who go to church on that day take tree leaves from the church at home.

In the old days, people used to give bay tree leaves to the newly-married couples for good luck. They also believed that these bay tree leaves would bring fertility to the couple.

People also believed that hitting someone with bay tree leaves had a healing power. They also used to hit their houses, their animals, their fields, their boats, etc for good luck.

Posted in 5th Grade, 6th Grade, School Paper Articles

MY MUM, A WOMAN TO BE PROUD OF – English School Paper, April 2011 Issue

My mum, a woman to be proud of …
by Hryssa Papalexopoulou (6th grade)

You’re there when I need you; you forget your own worries. You’re my refuge and rock, with you I feel secure. Maybe I should tell you more often how much I appreciate you, but you’re the one I love, a bit more each day. You bring warmth and joy in my life. These are some words to describe how much I love you!

Posted in 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, School Paper Articles

JOKES – English School Paper, April 2011 Issue

JOKES
by Hryssa Papalexopoulou

What did John say when he saw four elephants walking down the hill?
“Are elephants coming?”
And what did John say when he saw four elephants with black sunglasses walking down the hill?
Nothing. He didn’t recognize them!

———————-

Teacher: Tell us, Helen, where does God live?
Helen: I think in the bathroom, Miss.
Teacher: And why are you saying that?
Helen: Because every morning my dad is behind the bathroom door and he says: “God, will you ever get out?”

———————-

Two men were gambling in a salon. One of them stood up and he started screaming:
– I won, I won!
– What do you have?, the second man asked.
– Four aces.
– I think that you don’t….
– Why, what do you have?
– Two nines and one gun!!!

Posted in 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, Projects

EXCHANGING CARNIVAL CUSTOMS

Since the beginning of this school year, the learners of the Primary School of Pteleos have been exchanging national traditions and customs with learners that come from other European countries. Recently, we exchanged presentations of our national carnival customs. Our 5th grade learners wrote related articles for their English school newspaper “Our World” and sent them to the cooperating European Primary Schools (eLearning Centre, Floriana, Malta, Karacaoğlan İ.Ö.O / Primary School, Adana, Turkey, Scoala gen. nr. 2 Codlea, Codlea, Romania, St. Clare College, San Gwann Primary A, San Gwann, Malta, TEVFİK YARAMANOĞLU İLKÖĞRETİM OKULU, MERKEZ, Turkey, Samanyolu Ilköğretim Okulu , Ankara, Turkey and the Primary School of Politika, Evia, Greece). The learners’ articles have been accompanied with the following presentations, both in English and Greek:

Posted in 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, My Schools' English Newspapers

ENGLISH SCHOOL NEWSPAPER – ISSUE 2 – PRIMARY SCHOOL OF PTELEOS

Since the beginning of this school year, the Primary School of Pteleos has been involved in an eTwinning project that includes exchanging English school newspapers with other European Primary Schools ( St Mary’s Primary Duntocher, Clydebank, United Kingdom, Ulubatlı Hasan İlköğretim Okulu, Kocaeli, Turkey, Szkoła Podstawowa nr 1 im. Feliksa Nowowiejskiego w Barczewie, Barczewo, Poland, Samanyolu Ilköğretim Okulu , Ankara, Turkey and Öğretmen Mediha Mehmet Tetikol İlköğretim Okulu, Tekirdağ, Turkey. Their English school paper is called “Our World” (see their first issue here) and their second issue is finally ready! You can download it here: OUR WORLD – ENGLISH SCHOOL PAPER – 2ND ISSUE – PRIMARY SCHOOL OF PTELEOS

Posted in 5th Grade, 6th Grade, School Paper Articles

CARNIVAL IN GREECE – English School Paper, February 2011 Issue

CARNIVAL IN GREECE

Since the beginning of this school year the learners in the Primary School of Pteleos exchange presentations of national customs and traditions with other European Primary Schools. Here is what our 5th graders wrote about the Carnival celebrations in Greece.

CARNIVAL CUSTOMS AROUND GREECE
by Kosmas Gourgiotis

Naoussa. In Naoussa, every year people celebrate the custom of “Yenitsari” and “Boules” which has its roots since when Greece was under Turkish occupation. Yenitsaroi are men dressed in traditional Greek costumes and Boules are also men dressed-up as women. They all wear masks.

Halkidona. In New Halkidona, in Thessaloniki, Greece, people celebrate the Carnival playing yogurt fights. They throw yogurt at each other!

Skiros. In Skiros, people celebrate the custom of “the old man of Korela”. They wear the traditional costume of the sheppard and they hang big bells around their waist.

Naxos. In Naxos, men wear traditional Greek costumes and go around the neighborhoods and sing.

Galaxidi. People in Galaxidi have a strange, but funny carnival custom. On Clean Monday they throw flour and ashes at each other, so they turn white and in a minute they’re all covered in black! It is a very funny tradition and many people visit Galaxidi to participate in this traditional game!

Patra. Patra is one of the famous destinations during the carnival. People in Patras participate in a long carnival parade, dressed up in different costumes. There is also a treasure hunt game!

Clean Monday
by George Papargiris

Clean Monday is a big celebration in Greece. People eat seafood and vegetables. This day in the morning the people go in the countryside or the mountain and they fly a kite. They have a picnic there. Clean Monday is a very good and enjoyable celebration. Children usually have lots of fun!

Clean Monday
by Danae Xiromeriti

Clean Monday is the opening day of the fasting for the Greek Orthodox Church and it means the end of the Carnival. It was named like this because the early Christians used to clean their body and soul on that special day, preparing themselves for the Easter holidays. Fasting lasts 40 days, the same as the days Jesus spent in the desert. On Clean Monday it is common that we eat ‘lagana’, which is a flat loaf of bread, and beans soup without oil. Traditionally, it is the last day of the year we can dress up for the carnival and we go out and fly kites. Clean Monday is celebrated 48 days before Easter. For more information, you can visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_Monday

GAΪTANAKI
by Valentina Velikova

Gaitanaki is a traditional Greek dance that we dance during the carnival. It is a colourful and funny dance!

We need 13 people for this dance! One person is holding a wooden pole with 12 ribbons hanging from its top. The ribbons have different colours and every person is holding a ribbon.

When the music begins, the dancers move towards the pole, go under the other dancer’s ribbon, move far from the pole and then towards the pole again! A colourful braid is created on the pole when the dance finishes.

This dance is a symbol of the circle of life. We move from happiness to sadness, from winter to spring, from life to death and the opposite!

A CARNIVAL GAME
by Danae Xiromeriti, Helen Kaltsouni and Helen Alamanioti

During the carnival Greek people organize many games for children to play. Sometimes they win and sometimes they lose! Sometimes they dress up, and sometimes they don’t!

Valmas was a game that was played in the village of Penia. There were two teams and each one was tied on each side of the rope. The winner was the team that dragged the other team towards its side. It was a special game because after the game they had funny dialogues, like a play.

CARNIVAL IN PTELEOS

People celebrate the carnival all around Greece. In our village, the carnival celebrations take place on the last Sunday of the carnival period, just before Clean Monday. This year, we celebrated the carnival in the central square of our village on March 6th.

The celebration this year was great! The local choir sang beautiful traditional songs. Our school participated in the celebrations, too! Our PE teacher, Mrs. Despina Founta, taught us the traditional dances. We danced the traditional ‘Gaitanaki’ and the ‘Pepper’ song, which was a lot of fun. We also danced some other Greek traditional songs.

A great party followed our presentation of the dances and in the end we burnt the king of the carnival in a big fire that people lit in the central square.