Mother Teresa
by Julie Alamanioti (6th grade)

Mother Teresa (26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997) was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu and she was a catholic nun of Albanian origin and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of charity in Calcutta, India in 1950. For 45 years she helped the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while leading the Missionaries of charity expansion, first throughout India and then to other countries. Following her death she was beatified by Pope John Paul II and given the title Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Teresa

LAVRENTIS MAHERITSAS, A SINGER/COMPOSER FROM PTELEOS, GREECE
by Danae Xiromeriti (5th grade)

Lavrentis Mahairitsas was born in Volos. At the age of 20, he forms the group P.L.D…, with which he goes to France aiming for an international career. When they fail, they return to Greece, where they release their first album in English, ARMAGEDON, in 1982. After the low interest shown in that disc, they turned to Greek lyrics. The group was renamed to TERMITES and they released their second album, named TERMITES, in 1983.

In 1984, they released the album “Amartoli Maria”, which makes everyone get interested in their music. Giorgos Ntalaras takes part in two of their songs. Two other albums followed, the “Tsimentenia trena” [1986] and “Perimentas ti vrohi” (1988). The last album by Termites was a live album, recorded in Lycabitos and named “Tsimedenio Kontserto “. In 1989, Lavrentis Mahairithas began his solo career by releasing the album “O Magapas ki i sagapw”.

Two years later, in 1991 the popular “Didimoteiho blues” is released and it becomes gold. In 1993, he released the album “Rikse Kokkino sti nyhta”. Then he met Dionissis Tsaknis. Their successful live performances led to an album, which was released in 1994 named “I nyhta tha to pei”. The songs were recorded during their concert in Lycabitos and two of their performances on Metro stage. These albums are followed by the not so popular, but still great, “Parathyra pou kourase i thea”, in 1995 and “ Pafsilipon”, in1996, which was widely accepted by the audience.

After that, he releases the album “Etsi drapetevo ap’ tis parees”, in June 1999, which contains the popular song “Kai ti zitao” with the voice of Dionissis Savopoulos. After that, he composed the soundtrack of the movie “Enas ki enas” and many songs for the album of Giorgos Ntalaras. He released a new album in 2001, named “To dialeimma krataei dio zoes”. A significant fact about this album is his collaboration with Angelo Branduardi. In 2003, a new album came out under the title” Sto afierono”. Also he took part in Philippos Pliatsikas’ album collaborating with Dionissis Tsaknis, in the song “Hriazete ena thavma edo”!

In 2005 “Alkyonides Meres” is released with songs recorded in live performances and it is followed by “Eroes me karbon”, in 2005. This year, he has just released a new album, the “I enohi ton amnon”. All these years, apart from the memorable collaboration with Dionissis Tsaknis in albums and live performances, he has also cooperated with some of the greatest Greek artists, such as Eleftheria Arvanitaki, Haris Alexiou, Vassilis Papakonstantinou, Christos Thiveos and others.

Pteleos, our village, is his actual hometown. He visits it quite often and, recently, he has paid a visit to our evening English class, where he gave us his autographs. All these make him shine in the Greek music scene and his songs will always be heard no matter how many years shall pass!

STAR SIGNS
by Julie Alamanioti

Aries (21/3-20/4)
You must be more careful in school because maybe you’ll have bad grades this term.

Taurus (21/4-20/5)
It would be better to be more careful with your friends, because maybe you’ll lose some of them.

Gemini (21/5-21/6)
You must exercise more in order to be healthier.

Cancer (22/6-22/7)
You must be friendlier and kinder to your parents if you want them to buy you what you want.

Leo (23/7-22/8)
Keep studying very hard because this is the only way to get good grades.

Virgo (23/8-22/9)
One day you will go shopping. Be careful, you must have much money with you!

Libra (23/9-22/10)
This month you will have a test in Science and you must study very very hard.

Scorpio (23/10-21-11)
You will buy a new thing for you with you parents but you must be very careful because they may convince you to buy something that you don’t like!

Sagittarius (22/11-20/12)
You mustn’t eat a lot of fast food because you will be very fat.

Capricorn (21/12-20/1)
You do not study very hard and will be sad if your grades are not good. Try to do something about it!

Aquarius (21/1-18/2)
Family problems! Some family members will need some help with money.

Pisces (19/2-20/3)
This must be your lucky week! Something good will happen!

MONUMENTS AROUND THE WORLD
by our 5th graders

Parthenon, Athens, Greece
by John Kalantzis

My country Greece has got a lot of sights. One of the most important sights is Parthenon in Athens. Parthenon was made from two ancient Greeks, Hictinos and Kallikrates, in 447-438 B.C.

Today many of the marbles of Parthenon are destroyed and some other marbles are saved in museums in Great Britain, France and other European countries.

Every year many people visit Athens to see the beauty of Parthenon. Finally I suggest that you come to Greece and see the Parthenon and other Greek sights. For more information visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenon

The Colosseum of Rome, Italy
by Helen Kaltsouni

The Colosseum is an elliptical amphitheatre in the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.

Capable of seating 50.000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions etc.

Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined because of damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. It is one of Rome’s most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church. The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the fire-cent euro coin.

The Colosseum today is now a major tourist attraction in Rome with thousands of tourists each year paying to view the arena.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosseum)

The White Tower of Thessaloniki, Greece
by Alex Pardalos

The White Tower of Thessaloniki is a monument and museum on the water front of the city of Thessaloniki, capital of the region of Macedonia in northern Greece. It has been adopted as the symbol of the city, also as a symbol of Greek sovereignty over Macedonia.

The present tower dates from reign of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. There was an older tower on the same site, probably built by French knights during the period of the ottomans successively as a fort, garrison and a prison. In 1826, there was a massacre of the prisoners in the Tower. Owing to the countless victims of ottoman torturers and executioners, the tower acquired the name ‘’Tower of blood“which it kept until the end of the 18th century.

When Thessaloniki was captured by the Greeks during the Balkan War of 1912, the tower was whitewashed a symbolic gesture of cleansing, and acquired its present name. King George I of Greece was assassinated not far from the White Tower in 1913.

The Tower is now a buff colour but has retained the name White Tower. It now stands on Thessaloniki’s waterfront boulevard, Nikis Victory Street. It houses a Byzantine museum and is one of the city’s leading tourist attractions.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Tower_of_Thessaloniki)

The White Tower, Thessaloniki, Greece
by George Papargiris

The White Tower is a very old and big tower. It is in Thessaloniki, Greece. A lot of tourists visit it every day. Near the tower there are a lot of cafes and very big hotels. Next to the tower there is a beach. People can enjoy their coffee and the sunshine. It’s very beautiful!

The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
by Helen Alamanioti

The Eiffel Tower was made in 1889 by an engineer Gustavo Eiffel. Its height is 325 m. It was the highest building in the world. Its weight is 10.100 tons. 300 workers put together 18.038 pieces of steel with 2,5 million bolts. Millions of people visit the Eiffel Tower every year. Everyday people enjoy the view from the Eiffel Tower.

INTERVIEWING LOCAL PROFESSIONALS
by our 5th graders

In October, we, the 5th grade learners, decided to interview some local professionals in order to find out more about their jobs. We interviewed the local chemist and the carpenter.

INTERVIEW WITH A CARPENTER
by Danae Xiromeriti & John Kalantzis

In October 2010 we visited Mr. Jim Xiromeritis and we asked him if he wanted to answer our questions. He willingly accepted.

How many years have you been doing this job?
I was very young when I started helping my dad in this job. That’s how I learnt this job.

Have you studied to do this job?
I finished senior high school and I preferred my father’s job.

Does one need a lot of money to do this job?
One needs a lot of money and, once you decide to do this job, you must make a lot of investments.

Do you think your job is profitable?
This job is creative, pleasant, the works satisfies you, but the job isn’t profitable.

INTERVIEW WITH THE CHEMIST
by Helen Kaltsouni & Alex Pardalos (5th grade learners)

In October we visited the chemist of Pteleos and we asked him if he wanted to answer our questions. He willingly welcomed us in his shop.

How many years have you been doing this job?
I have been doing this job for 22 years.

How difficult is your job?
There are a lot of problems. First of all, the types of prescriptions are different. Also, there are always changes in the way of prescribing. In addition, it is sometimes hard to find medicine and a chemist needs to be in touch with a lot of warehouses in order to supply his shop with medicine.

Do you think that your job is profitable?
In the past it was profitable and now is not very much.

Do you have to study at the university to do this gob?
Yes, it is necessary for someone to study at the university.

How do you buy your medicine for your pharmacy?
I buy medicine from the cooperative unions in Volos, Athens and Thessaloniki.

What are your job difficulties?
The new machinery and the people who don’t know what they want!

Do you believe that this is a job young people should try to do?
Yes, they should follow it, studying new technologies and modernizing their technique, following the right practices which will be taught by the right teachers.

A DAY IN A FIFTH GRADER’S LIFE
What is really the daily routine of a fifth-grader? Learners, based on their course book, have written articles on a day in their life!

A DAY IN MY LIFE
by Danae Xiromeriti

My name is Danae, I’m 10 years old. I get up at 7:00 o’clock every morning. I eat breakfast. Then I wear my clothes, brush my teeth, my hair and I wash my face. After that, I go to school.

At school we learn Maths, Greek, English, History, Geography and French. School starts at 8:00am and ends at 13:15pm but on Thursday and Friday it finishes at 14:00pm. In school we have one teacher for most of the subjects and one teacher for English, one for French and one for P.E.

When I get home from school I do my homework. I play with my friends volleyball. I like sitting with my family in the sofa and watching TV and eating popcorn. In my spare time, I play with my play station two.

Before I go to bed I watch TV. I like watching programmes like ‘Patty’ and ‘Great Creatures’. After that, I brush my teeth, I say goodnight and I go to bed at 10:00pm.

A DAY IN MY LIFE
by George Papargiris

My name is George. I ’m ten years old. I get up at seven o’clock every morning. I have my breakfast and I go to school.

The school starts at quarter past eight and ends at quarter past one. On Thursday and Friday it ends at two o’clock. At school we learn Geography, Language, Maths, French, English and History.

When I get home I eat and I do my homework. In the afternoon I play with my friend.

In the evening I watch TV. My favourite TV program is Spiderman 3.At eleven o’clock I go to bed.

A DAY IN MY LIFE
by Helen Kaltsouni

Every day I wake up at 7 o’clock in the morning. I wash my face, I brush my teeth, I eat breakfast, I put on my clothes, I take my school bag and I usually go to school by my dad’s car.

The bell rings at eight o’clock and the lesson begins. We have a lot of subjects at school; Greek Language, Maths, History, Geography, Physical Education, English, French, etc, so every day is a difficult day. We have three breaks between the lessons to eat our snack.

The school ends at half past one, I come back home only to change my bag, because I have an English lesson just after school. The English lessons ends at half past three, I return home, I wash my hands and finally it’s time for lunch. Then, I have some rest watching TV, or I sometimes go to bed for an hour.

Between five and six o’clock it’s time to do my homework for the next day. I eat something for dinner at nine o’clock. If I have time, I watch some TV and I go to bed at eleven o’clock, because another difficult day at school comes!!!

OUR SCHOOL
by Vasso Boukorou and Zoe Gerogiakomou

Our school is in Pteleos. It’s very old but it’s very big. There is one floor and there are six classrooms. There are ten teachers and fifty pupils.

There is a large playground and one computer room. There isn’t a music room, a football field or a basketball court. There is a small library in the hall and a small kitchen.

Our classroom is in the back and we are eleven pupils. I like my school because it’s very big and colourful.

There are some things that we would like it to have, for example, a gym to do gymnastics when it rains. Also, we would like it to have a volleyball court and finally we would like each child to have his/her own computer. That’s our school and we love it!

PTELEOS, OUR VILLAGE
by our 5th graders

Pteleos is the name of our village. It is in central Greece and it is very beautiful. It has a lot of places to visit. Some of them are the following:

THE VILLAGE OF HAMAKO
by George Papargiris & Kosmas Gourgiotis

Hamako was a very old village. The people left it in 1927.Hamako had a windmill on a hill for the people’s service in the past. Today people who visit it can see the ruins. People left the village around 1915 and it didn’t have any residents in 1927. People went to other cities and villages because they wanted to grow olive trees and they didn’t want to have animals any more.

THE SEA MUSEUM OF ACHILLIO
by Joanna Skoura & Helen Alamanioti

The Sea Museum of Achillio was founded by the Prefecture of Pteleos. A tourist can see the secrets and the beauties of the sea world. The museum opened for the first time in May, 2002. Ever since, people who want to visit the Museum, call and make an appointment. It is one of the most important sea museums of continental Greece. Near the museum you can see the ruins of a windmill. The Hamako community board built this windmill at the top of a hill, so that it could be used by the people of the village and the neighboring villagers. Today you can only see its ruins.

PTELEOS CASTLE
by George Papargiris & Kosmas Gourgiotis

Pteleos was always one of the most important ports of the Aegean Sea. A castle was built in the entrance of the port in 1204. It was very tall and big. Its entrance was very big for safety. The only way to get into the castle was to use a ladder. There were a lot of houses around the castle.

THE BEACHES OF PTELEOS
by George Papargiris & Kosmas Gourgiotis

Pteleos has a lot of beaches. The biggest is Lyhoura which is famous for its birds. It’s 1 kilometer long. You can also visit a lot of other beaches. They’re Karavotsaki, Mitrouna and Lefki. A lot of tourists also visit Panagia, because it has a beach bar and a lot of umbrellas. Then, they can take a shower and have lunch.

MY COUNTRY
by our 6th grade learners

This year we learnt in our English lesson how to write a report about our country. Here are some of our reports:

GREECE, MY COUNTRY
by Hryssa Papalexopoulou

My name is Hryssa and I am twelve years old. It’s a Greek name because my family is from Greece. My family and I live in Pteleos, a village in Greece. Greece borders with Bulgaria, Albania, F.Y.R.O.M., Italy and Turkey.

The weather is very cold in winters and hot in summers and it rains a lot every year.

The people here are friendly, good, very beautiful and they are clever.

In my opinion, you must visit Greece because it’s a fantastic country, full of surprises. I love Greece and you will, if you come here and see all the wonderful things that God has given us!

GREECE, AN ADORABLE COUNTRY
by Natasha Hassioti

The greatest philosophers and poets were born in Greece, such as Aristotle and Euripides. We are proud of being Greeks because we live in a country with a glorious past.

In addition, Greece is full of natural beauties. The climate is temperate, so many plants are thriving in the valleys and offer many nutritional products. The country has many magnificent landscapes, such as rivers, forests, lakes and many beaches.

Greece has a population of ten million people. It has developed stockbreeding, agriculture and breeding.

ALBANIA, MY COUNTRY
by Marilena Louska

My name is Marilena and I am twelve years old. My country is Albania. Now, I live in Pteleos, in Greece. The name of my village in Albania is Bulgiars. My country borders with Bulgaria, Italy and Greece.

Albania is mostly mountainous, with plains, hills and seas. Rivers flow across the country.

The weather is very very cold in winter and warm in summer. It rains and snows most of the time.

The people of Albania speak Albanian and are very hard-working.

I love my country very much!

RUSSIA, MY COUNTRY
by Julie Alamanioti

The name of my country is Russia, or Russian Federation. Russia is the biggest country in the world with an extent of 17,075,400 square kilometers. Its population is 140.041.247 people. Its capital city is Moscow. The official language is Russian and its currency is the ‘rouvli’. It is divided into 83 prefectures.

My parents and I go to Russia on holidays. The weather in summer is hot there and the people are friendly. The landscape is not very mountainous.

I love my country very much!

ENGLISH BREAKFAST AT SCHOOL
by Evi N.

On February 19th, me and all my other classmates ate English breakfast at school, during our English lesson.

We had a cup of tea with milk and sugar, milk with cereals and pancakes with chocolate syrup. Yum!!! They were delicious! All those years I’ve lived in England, in London, I’ve never eaten this kind of breakfast before. I knew the English ‘brunch’ (something between breakfast and lunch).

We had a great time. Also, pancakes are healthy, so we could all have them for breakfast. Anyway, the English breakfast was very good and I hope I will eat some more some time soon! Yum!!!