Posted in 3rd Grade, Public Education

Pinocchio says … have fun while learning!

Primary School of Sourpi
Primary School of Sourpi

If you are an English Language teacher, you surely are familiar with the “Simon says …” game! However, our 3rd grade course book invites us to play “Pinocchio says …”, as Pinocchio is our Unit 4 hero, in an attempt to engage us in a fun, enjoyable activity for vocabulary revision!

Please, enjoy this video of the recorded “Pinocchio says…” activity and try to focus on the learners’ faces (trying not to judge the sound of my recorded voice – I actually sound so different if you meet me in person!)!

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 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.

Posted in 4th Grade, School Paper Articles

MY VILLAGE – English School Paper, February 2011 Issue

MY VILLAGE
by Vasso Boukorou and Zoe Gerogiakomou (4th grade)

The name of our village is Pteleos. It is in central Greece. It is near the sea.

We have got clean beaches and beautiful shops. An important city near Pteleos is Volos. There are a lot of mountains here. You can eat fresh fish, meat and olives here.

One of our festivals is on August 15th. We celebrate Virgin Mary. In the morning, people go to church and at night they go to the central square and have dinner in taverns. We also have another festival, the Carnival, in February. Children dress up and go to the central square and dance. They also go to a party at a club and they play treasure hunt, they throw confetti, dance and drink soft drinks and hot chocolate.

Many tourists visit Pteleos in the summer. They go to the village of Hamako, the Sea Museum in Achillio, the castle and, of course, the beaches!

Posted in School Paper Articles

CHRISTMAS IN GREECE, BRITAIN AND RUSSIA – English School Paper, February 2011 Issue

Our 4th graders this term were invited by their course book to compare customs between different countries. Vasso and Zoe decided to present Christmas!

CHRISTMAS IN GREECE, BRITAIN AND RUSSIA
by Zoe Gerogiakomou & Vasso Boukorou (4th grade)

Christmas in Greece is great! We decorate our houses and tree with balls and lights. The children sing carols. We always open our presents on New Year’s Day. At Christmas we have lunch. In the evening we have dinner with all the members of our family.

In Britain, Christmas is a very popular holiday. People there decorate their tree and houses, too. They send cards to their friends and family and children there sing carols, too. At home, children have a stocking and Santa Claus puts presents in it. They always open their presents on Christmas day. They eat roast turkey or beef with fried potatoes and Brussels sprouts. For dessert they usually have Christmas pudding.

Julie Alamanioti, a Russian 6th grade student in our school, says that people in Russia celebrate Christmas every year. They decorate their houses, too. They go to the church and then the whole family comes home to eat homemade food. On New Year’s Eve in the afternoon people there eat homemade salads and other food and they drink wine. Some people go to the church and spend the night there. They put the presents under the Christmas tree and, on New Year’s Day, the children wake up and open their presents.

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

1st Primary School of Almyros – February Issue – Writing About a Greek Town / City / Area

greece.jpg
WRITING ABOUT A GREEK TOWN / CITY / AREA
by our 4th grade students

The students of the 4th grade of our school have found information on and written about a Greek town, or city of their choice for a school project in English. We are more than happy to host in this issue their assignments!

EDESSA
by Kostas B.

Edessa is near a river. In is in the Northern Greece. It is a large city. There you can see a lot of cherry and peach trees. People eat fish from the river. There is also a waterfall and the place is famous for it.

MY AREA
by Theofania B.

My area is Almyros. It is a beautiful area. There are big parks and supermarkets. Volos is near my area. Volos has got a big bridge and big streets. Almyros has got a shopping centre. In Almyros there aren’t any sports centers or cinemas. This is my beautiful area!

EPIRUS
by Jim V.

My favourite place in Greece is Epirus. It’s on the northern-western part of Greece. My favourite city is Ioannina. Other cities are Arta, Preveza and Egoumenitsa. There are many beautiful beaches, like Parga, and high mountains, such as Mitsikeli, Smolikas and Joumerka. There is a beautiful lake near Ioannina, lake Pamvotida. In this area, there are also many rivers, such as Acheloos, Arathos, Louros, Kalamos and Aherodas. Famous sights are the island of Mrs Frossini, the Museum, the castle of Ioannina, Paul Vrellis Greek History Wax Museum and the University of Ioannina.

CRETE
by Maria M.

Crete is a big island in south Greece. Chania, Rethymno and Lasithion are three beautiful places that you have to visit. You can go swimming there, too! The palace of Knossos and Samaria Gorge are very beautiful to visit!

MYTILENE
by Ioanna V.

It is an island in the eastern part of Greece, near Turkey. The most important towns are Plomari, Sikounda, Eressos and Petra. There aren’t any lakes or many rivers, but there are some mountains. You can see two castles, an archaeological site, a spa center and many monasteries. You can eat fresh fish and its famous Greek cheese. There is also a famous festival in August. Finally, there is a rare, but famous forest that you can see.

ANAVRA
by Konstantina H. and Vaggelitsa P.

Anavra is a village on a mountain. It is in Magnesia, in central Greece. You can visit the park of Anavra. There is also a beautiful forest and a cave. On the mountain, there are cows, goats and sheep. A sight you can see is a place near the park which is called ‘Anavra’. It is like a lake, where people wash their clothes and carpets. You can eat great meat and cheese there. Every year, in the summer, people celebrate in a festival. They eat, drink, sing and dance. They celebrate St. Panteleimonas.

THESSALY
by Mary and Anastasia A.

Name: Thessaly. Capital city: Larissa. Other important cities: Volos, Karditsa, Trikala. Sights: Meteora, Aspropotamos, National Sea Park of Alonnisos, Villages of Pilio, Lake of Plastira, Tembi valley. Mountains: Othrys, Pilio, Olympus, Koziakas. Lakes: Lake of Plastira.

Thessaly is in the center of Greece and it is an area full of mountains, but there are still some important valleys like Larisa, Farsala, Trikala and Almyros and some rivers like Pinios, Enipeas etc. In the winter, tourists can visit some ski centers and in the summer they can swim in its beautiful beaches. They can visit some traditional restaurants in the mountains and some small taverns at the beaches of Thessaly. Anyway, Thessaly sure is a good destination for everyone to visit.

LEMNOS ISLAND
by Christina P.

You must visit the castle of Myrina and the village Moudros. Myrina has got a big castle. It was the basis of the pirates in World War I. In Kaminia there is a temple and the ancient site of Poliohni.

IKARIA
by Katerina K.

Ikaria is a big, wonderful island. It is in Aegean Sea, close to the western part of Myconos. This island is special. People can visit many places there, like Amalo, Armenistis, Karkinagri, etc. There are many green forests and museums which people can visit in this beautiful, amazing island!

Eastern Thessalia
by Costas M.

The eastern part of Thessalia has two big cities: Larissa and Volos, and other important towns, like Almyros, Elassona and Tirnavos. The most important mountains are Olympus, Pilion, Ossa and Othris. It also has two rivers, Pinios and Enipeas, and a lake, called Karla. The most famous sights in Eastern Thessalia are Tempi, Zagora in Pilion, Olympus and N. Aghialos and you can visit the carnival in Tirnavos, too. In Eastern Thessalia there are also some rare animals in Alonissos, the Mediterranean monk seal ‘Monachus Monachus”.

PELOPONESSUS
by Anastasia and Mary A.

Peloponessus is the south part of landlocked Greece. It has seven districts (Argolida, Arkadia, Achaia, Elia, Corinthia, Laconia and Messenia). It has a shape that looks like a pergola leaf. That’s because it has many gulfs and many nazes. Peloponessus has a climate that is generally Mediterranean. In the winter, the climate is chillier and more freezing in the mountains than at its sea areas. It is rainier at its east part than it is at the west (it is less rainy in Pyrgos than in Nafplio).

Posted in 6th Grade, School Paper Articles

1st Primary School of Almyros – November Issue – My Country

greece2.jpg
MY COUNTRY
by Alexia A. (6th grade)

My name is Alexia and I am 12 years old. I live in Greece, a beautiful country. Greece borders with Albania, Bulgaria, FYROM, Turkey and Italy.

Greece has mainly got mountains and plains, but actually its beauty comes from the many seas we have.

The weather is cold and it often rains in winter, but in summer the sun shines.

In Greece there aren’t only Greeks. There are also people from other countries. Almost half of the foreign people are of Bulgarian or Albanian origin.

I don’t think Greece is the best country of all, but it is my country and I love it!