Christmas Carol-The best Christmas of all

Christmas Carol-Jingle Bells

Christmas Carol-Rocking around the Christmas Tree

Christmas Carol-Winter Wonderland

Christmas Carol-Let it snow!

Weekly Scoop

John Lennon was born in Liverpool, on October 10, 1940 and he was a member of the Beatle.

On December 8th, 1980, Mark David Chapman killed the British musician John Lennon. He was a fan  of John and of the Beatles. Mark said that he killed John because in the book “The Catcher in the Rye” he understood that should kill John.  He died in New York, near his apartment.

Christmas Carols-12 Days Of Christmas

Christmas Carols-Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Christmas Scoops

Everybody knows that Rudolph is the name of one of Santa Claus’ reindeer. But and the others? What are their names?

The other reindeers are named Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen.

Rudolph appears in the Christmas carol “Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer” and he has a red nose. He became one of Santa’s reindeers on a foggy Christmas Eve. His nose helped Santa see in the fog.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day is a holiday and the objective is to give thanks to God for blessings received during the year.

In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of  October and in the USA it is on the fourth Thursday of November. The Native Americans also celebrated the end of the harvest season.

It became an annual tradition in 1863, when Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving which is celebrated on Thursday, November 26. Thanksgiving is one of the biggest holidays of the year.

The "First Thanksgiving" was celebrated to give thanks to God for giving the settlers safety in the New World. The first Thanksgiving feast lasted three days.

Too young for this, too old for that!

Too young for this, too old for that!

Have you ever thought about (or heard) something like that?! That we can’t do some childish things and we can’t do some adults’ things?! It’s the truth. The (sometimes) ugly truth.

Situation one-you’re in the shopping mall, opposite a store of childish things. You ask your mother, if you could, please, have the CPLT (Cute, Pretty, Little Thing) in the  store . Then, your mother says that you’re too old for that, you’re a teenager! That it's childish!

Situation two- there’s your favourite clothes shop in the shopping mall too. There’s the most beautiful and fancy dress you ever seen . You beg your mom to buy it, to use it at Christmas or New Year. She says that the dress is too short and you’re too young to wear the dress. She also adds that she’ll never buy something like that in her whole life.

Looking and reflecting on these situations, we come to this conclusion: this phase of life is something between being a  child and being a grown-up, this phase is called adolescence. And, in some situations you’re too young or too old for that.

Weekly Scoops

Claude Monet was a famous impressionist French painter who was born on November 14^th, 1840 in Paris. He lived until he was 86 .

Astrid Lindgren is a Swedish writer, born on November 14^th, 1907. Shewho wrote the Pippi Longstocking books. Her writing enchanted children all over the world and there’s a writing award with in her honoure. She died in 2002, in Stockholm, Sweden.

Films

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Year: 2010

Starring: Nicolas Cage (Balthazar Blake)

Alfred Molina (Maxim Horvath)

 Jay Baruchel (Dave Stutter)

Country: USA

Plot: Balthazar Blake is one of Merlin’s apprentices. His best friend, Maxim Horvath, and his girl friend, Veronica Gorloisen, are Merlin’s apprentices too. Horvath made an alliance with Morgana when he was rejected by Veronica. When Merlin dies, they need to find someone who can defeat the sorcerer’s biggest enemy: Morgana Le Fay. In one battle with Morgana, the one when Merlin dies, Veronica imprisons her in her body. Balthazar keeps them in a receptacle.

Thousands of years later, in 2010, Balthazar finds the person who can defeat Morgana: a New Yorker called Dave Stutter. After weeks learning spells, Balthazar and Dave fight with Morgana, killing her and releasing Veronica.

Films

Pride & Prejudice

Year: 2005

Based on: Pride & Prejudice, by Jane Austen

Starring: Keira Knightley (Elizabeth)

Mathew McFayden (Mr. Darcy)

Rosamund Pike (Jane)
Donald Sutherland (Mr. Bennet)

Music by: Dario Marianelli

Country: United Kingdom and France

Plot: This film tells the story of Elizabeth Bennet, a lady who lives in Longbourn. She has one older sister, Jane, and three younger sisters, Mary, Catherine and Lydia.

The five girls go to a ball, where they meet Mr. Charles Bingley, his sister, Caroline, and his best friend Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Bingley falls in love with Jane and Mr. Darcy, with Elizabeth. Unfortunately, Mr. Collins, Elizabeth’s cousin, falls in love with her too. She turns down Mr. Collins’ and Mr. Darcy’s proposals.

Elizabeth travels to the Peak District and receives bad news: her sister Lydia has disappeared and nobody knows where she is.

In Longbourn, the Bennet Family discovers that Lydia married a general called George Wickham.

Mr. Bingley proposes to Jane and Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth. Both sisters accept the proposals and get married.

Weekly Scoop

On October 22nd, 1943, Catherine Deneuve – a French actress – was born in Paris, France. The United Nations were created on October 24^th, 1945. The Spanish painter Picasso was born on October 25^th, 1881 and Katy Perry – an American singer – was born on the same date, but in 1984. The Statue of Liberty was inaugurated in New York, on October 26^th, 1886. Theodore Roosevelt – one American president – was born on October 27^th, 1858. The Harvard University was founded on October 28^th, 1636, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Bill Gates was born on October 28^th too, but in 1955.

Halloween History

Weekly Scoop

On October 15th, 1993, Michael Jackson performed his first concert in Brazil.  October 15^th is Teacher’s Day in Brazil and on October 16^th, 1923, Walter and Roy Disney founded the Walt Disney Company. On October 17^th, 1989, there was a 7.1 scale earthquake in San Francisco.

How to study for tests - What's your favourite place to study?

Happy Children's Day!

Children’s Day is celebrated to honor children around the world.

In Brazil,  Children’s Day is on October 12^th.

In Albania, Angola, Armenia, Bulgaria, China, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine and Vietnam,  Children’s Day is on June 1^st.

In Argentina,  Children’s Day is called Día del Niño and it is celebrated on the second Sunday of August.

In Bangladesh, until 2007,  Children’s Day wasn't celebrated,nowadays, it is celebrated  in November.

In Canada, Children’s Day is on November 20^th, the same day which is recommended by the United Nations .

In some countries, on Children’s Day,  children receive presents.

For me, every day is children’s day, because every day we play, laugh and have lots of fun!

 

Weekly Scoops

October 8th is  International Mail Day. Eleanor Roosevelt, American First-Lady, was born on October 11^th, 1884 and  Sidney University was inaugurated  on October 12^th 1852.

October 12th is Children’s Day in Brazil and October 13^th  is  International Writer's Day.

Gizmos

Our world is turning into a modern world. And this world is made of GIZMOS like…

The iPod

This is a gizmo on which we can listen to music, watch videos and listen to the radio. There are lots of types of iPods:

The iPod touch- you can listen to music, watch videos, listen to the radio, take pictures, write notes and surf on the Internet- just by touching the screen!

The iPod nano- you can listen to music, watch videos,  listen to the radio and see photos. You can do those things by touching the small screen.

The iPod shuffle- is the smallest iPod made by Apple. There’s no screen-  just the command buttons to listen to  music or to the radio.

The iPod classic- you can listen to music, the radio, and watch videos. There are iPods classic that have 160GB!

The Nintendo Wii

This is a videogame where you can create your own profile and play different games. You can drive a car, play with Mario or even help Mickey! Some fantastic games:

Cars 2- Learn how to be a secret agent with Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell, two British secret agents. Choose which character from Cars 2 you want to be and unlock levels. You can also play with other people.

Wii Sports Resort- Choose a game and start to play! On this awesome island, you can play basketball, ping pong, practice Frisbee, archery, cycling and more!

The Nintendo DSi XL

This is a portable videogame, where you can play  different worlds. On the Nintendo DSi XL, you can draw, take photos, surf  the Internet and chat and play with other people! Here are some cool games:

New Super Mario Bros.: Help Mario  rescue princess Peach! Browser got her and you are the only one that can save her! Travel through eight different dimensions and find Peach! 

Cooking Mama: Learn how to make 72 recepies from all over the world with Mama. Get good grades an trophies and play with other people!

Weekly Scoop

This week, the founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, died (on October 5^th). On October 3^rd, 1990,  East and West Germany became a united German country. The International Day of the Architect  is on October 4^th.

John Lennon was born in Liverpool, UK, on October 9^th, 1940.

Spring's in the air!

Spring is one of the four seasons of the year. It is after winter and before summer. In Spring, flowers blossom and the temperature gets higher. The days are longer than the nights and the animals come out of hibernation

In Brazil (and in Southern Hemisphere),  Spring begins on September 23^rd and ends on December 21^st. In the Northern Hemisphere,  Spring starts on March 21^st and ends on June 21^st. In Ireland, Spring traditionally starts on February 1^st, Saint Brigid’s Day. In Australia and New Zeland, Spring begins on September 1^st.

There are lots of flowers that grow in Spring: roses, violets, hibiscus, jasmines, orchids and sunflowers.

Weekly Scoops

 

This week it was Michael Douglas’s and Catherine Zeta-Jones’s birthday (on September 25^th). She’s now 43 and he’s 67.

Serena Williams-an American tennis player- was born in Michigan, USA, on September 26^th, 1981. Her sister, Venus Williams, is a tennis player too.

Museums around the world

Museums are places where we can learn, study and even play. They are very interesting and cool.
Some people think that museums are boring, but they aren't-they are awesome!!

Museums in...

SÃO PAULO

Memorial do Imigrante (Immigrant’s Memorial) 

Address: Rua Visconde de Parnaíba
Time: Tuesday to Sunday and holidays- from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
Admission: R$4

General info: this museum teaches us about the long journey and life of the immigrants. There you can also see where they stayed for a few days and where were they from. If you want, you can search your surname in the museum to see if there was someone of your family that stayed at the guesthouse.

Estação Ciências (Science Station)

Address: Rua Guaicurus

Time: Tuesday to Friday-from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

        Weekends and holidays-from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Admission: R$4

General info: At Estação Ciências you can see inside the human body and learn about the stars and tsunamis. You can experience an earthquake and discover more about Maths. You can see how we can make electricy and magnetic waves. You can play chess on a big chessboard.

BOSTON

Children’s museum

Address: Congress Street

Time: Saturday to Thursday-from 10 a.m. 10 5 p.m.

           Fridays-from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Admission: Price-$12

General info: Here you can learn about science in a different form: playing! You can discover how to make bubbles, dance, jump and even smile! You can also visit “The Wizard of Oz” with Dorothy and buy cute stuff at the museum’s shop.

Museum of Fine Arts

Address: Huntington Avenue

Time: Saturday to Tuesday-from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

          Wednesday to Friday-from 10 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.

Admission: Adults-$22

                     Seniors and students-$20

General info: You can learn about the ancient Greeks and Egyptians there. Then, you can see some contemporary pictures. Just go to another room and study the Civil War’s paintings. There are lots of different kinds of arts, from different places, times and artists.

LONDON
British Museum

Address: Great Russell Street

Time: Saturday to Thursday-from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Admission: Free

General info: Visit “A history of the world”, where, in 100 objects, you can learn about the world history from two million years ago to nowadays. You can also see “Treasures of heaven” and learn about Medieval Europe’s religions.

PARIS

Museé du Louvre (Louvre Museum)

Address: avenue du Général Lemonnier

Time: Monday, Thursday and weekend-from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

          Wednesday and Friday-from 9 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.

Admission: Є10

General info: See the Mona Lisa, by Leonardo Da Vinci, walk through the marvellous gardens and watch a film in the auditorium! This museum is big, but very beautiful and interesting!

Weekly scoop

This week it was Sophia Loren’s-an Italian actress-birthday (on September 20^th)

 

Ray Charles-an American pianist-was born on September 23^rd, 1930, in Albany, Georgia. He died on June 10^th, 2004, in Los Angeles, California.

Books

Reading is a fantastic adventure where we can imagine different places and characters. 

There are books that make us imagine more than that. They make us feel excited and we can’t stop reading them, like the following stories.

Inkheart

A fantastic book, where we discover that there’s magic everywhere-even while  reading. Meggie, a twelve-year-old girl, discovers that when her father reads aloud, the story comes alive. Then, she also discovers that she has the same talent.

Unfortunately, when she was just three, her father read her mother into a book called Inkheart (it was an accident). Nine years later, they started looking for Meggie’s mother and met different characters, some real, some unreal.

The 39 clues series

Amy and Dan Cahill, two Bostonian children are looking for clues. These clues are part of a hunt, prepared by Grace, their dead grandmother. Some other members of the family are in the hunt too. They visit different countries around the world with their au pair (a nanny) called Nellie Gomez. All the other members of the family have money or parents or both. They are the only team that doesn't have these resources.

 

Percy Jackson’s books 

Those books are a very interesting mixture of history and the modern world. A twelve-year-old boy, called Percy Jackson, who has lots of problems at school, discovers that he’s a semigod, half human, half god. His father is Poseidon. He goes to a camp called Camp Half Blood and meets other teenagers that are daughters and sons of the Olympus’s gods. Percy meet a girl called Annabeth and a boy called Grover. Grover is half goat, half human. Throughout the series, they confront monsters and evil semigods.

Weekly Scoop

This week...

It was Colin Firth's (a British actor) birthday-on September 10th- and Stella McCartney's (an English designer) birthday- on September 13th.

Amy Winehouse (an English singer) was born on September 14th, 1983 (she died on July 2011) and B. B. King (an American musician) was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi, on September 16th, 1925.

On September 15th was the Spanish princess's (Letizia Ortiz) birthday.

 

Weekly Scoop

This week...

It was Pippa Middleton's (Catherine Middleton's sister) birthday- on September 6th

She's now 27.