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I La Paz Newsletter, December 2013

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Olinca Fifth Years Primary Debates

Issue #2 December, 2013

By: Mr Daniel Cortes

O

n November 20th Instituto La Paz participated in the debates held at Colegio Olinca. This was the tenth time our school has participated and it was an insightful experience for both students and teachers. The students who represented the school as the debate team are as follows: Eduardo Nájera González Michelle Esmeralda Reyes Fuentes Mariela Salgado Herrera Pedro David Urrea Turcott The faces of the students were changing the closer we were getting to Colegio Olinca. When they got off the bus, you could see they were nervous whilst also concentrating hard to stay calm.

We were received by host students and given our badges; by this time, you could see the eagerness of some students and the nervousness in some others. Our team looked very confident, they delivered their speeches, asked questions and paid attention with the utmost dexterity. They behaved as respectful young adults at a challenging and interesting debate. The composure and performance as a team was very rewarding to watch. Eduardo Najera was presented with a “Best Debater Award” and each of our students were recognized for their hard work with a diploma, presented by the Directors of the Instituto Olinca. Please, not only read from the Teacher’s Point of View, but also, from one of our Debater´s Click on the link below to read Laura Paola’s Special Article for the event.


Charles Dickens

H

is own story is one of rags to riches. He was born in Portsmouth on 7 February 1812, to John and Elizabeth Dickens. The good fortune of being sent to school at the age of nine was short-lived because his father, inspiration for the character of Mr Micawber in ‘David Copperfield’, was imprisoned for bad debt. The entire family, apart from Charles, were sent to Marshalsea along with their patriarch. Charles was sent to work in Warren’s blacking factory and endured appalling conditions as well as loneliness and despair. After three years he was returned to school, but the experience was never forgotten and became fictionalised in two of his better-known novels ‘David Copperfield’ and ‘Great Expectations’. Like many others, he began his literary career as a journalist. His own father became a reporter and Charles began with the journals ‘The Mirror of Parliament’

and ‘The True Sun’. Then in 1833 he became parliamentary journalist for The Morning Chronicle. Later, in 1836 came the publication of the highly successful ‘Pickwick Papers’, and from that point on there was no looking back for Dickens. He was estranged from his wife in 1858 after the birth of their tenth child. He died of a stroke in 1870. He is buried at Westminster Abbey. TO FIND MORE ABOUT CHARLES DICKENS, VISIT HIS PAGE AT THE BRITISH COUNCIL:


A Christmas Carol

A

Christmas Carol is a novel written by him, first published on 17 December 1843. It tells the story of bitter and miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and his ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation resulting from supernatural visits by Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come.

film industry having adapted it in many forms from Walt Disney’s “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” to “A Christmas Carol” starring Jim Carrey.

The novel met with instant success and critical acclaim. The book was written and published in early Victorian Era Britain, a period when there was strong nostalgia for old Christmas traditions together with the introduction of new customs such as Christmas trees and greeting cards.

How would you help Tiny Tim?

The story A Christmas Carol remains popular with children today, thanks mainly to the

Why not enjoy this Christmas, Disney’s version of Mickey’s Christmas Carol? CLICK HERE FOR A TRAILER.

Send your suggestions to

colibri@ilp.edu.mx


B

itesize is the name given to the BBC’s free online study support resource for school-age students in the United Kingdom. It is designed to aid students in both school work and, for older students, exams. Bitesize is available on a variety of platforms including the web and mobile phones and tablets. Visit KS1 for Kinder and Lower Primary. Try KS2 for Primary and KS3 for Upper Primary and Secondary. Enjoy exploring, reading and discovering new ways to work with English.

VISIT BBC Bitesize ON LINE SITE HERE


O

ne idea this Christmas for you to try at home on Bitesize is to listen to Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” being read on their Radio Page. Can you explore Bitesize in order to find this activity? Happy listening!

BBC Christmas carol link is here.


What is the Origin of the Christmas Tree‌ Is it Viking? Celtic? Christian? By: Mr Daniel Cortes

T

he tree many people worship during the month of December, just before the winter solstice, was not only about the birth of Jesus but has many different origins according to various cultures. Most people in Mexico associate it with the birth of Jesus because monks in the 4th c. BC explained that the tree had the shape of a triangle and it resembled the trinity Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Asheira cult was one of the groups of people who were converted by the Catholic Church and they were allowed to continue with the celebration of having an evergreen tree taken to their homes to worship life through trees. Vikings used to cut an evergreen and walk around with it to spread wealth and fertility in villages. Martin Luther took a tree into his house because he was amazed by the reflection of moonlight on the icicles that evergreens had at night and started decorating them at home. For more information, visit this references used for this article. http://www.christmas-tree.com/where.html http://oldfashionedholidays.wordpress.com/2010/12/18/history-of-christmas-trees-evergreens-mistletoe-pagan-legends-respecting-trees-1846/ http://www.thegentlewaybook.com/ar-origin.htm http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/Christmas_TheRealStory.htm


Toffee Popcorn Bark This simple chocolate slab broken into pieces is a crunchy and moreish snack, perfect for a kids party. Ingredients • 200g milk chocolate • 200g white chocolate • 2 x 30g bags toffee popcorn

Instructions 1. Line a 20 x 30cm baking tray with baking parchment. Melt the milk chocolate and white chocolate separately, then allow to cool slightly. 2. Pour most of the chocolate onto the tray, roughly swirling together. Sprinkle over the toffee popcorn, then drizzle over the remaining milk and white chocolate, and chill until set. Break into big chunks before serving.

Find out more Recipes here!


Instructions: Unscramble the answer to each clue given and write your answer in the boxes to the right of the scrambled letters. Each box is assigned a number. When you are finished unscrambling all of the words, fill in the secret message by using the letter corresponding to the number provided.

Instructions: Find the words from the list below in the crossword given.

How many sentences about Christmas can you make with these words?


ACTIVITY: CHRISTMAS CUBESCRAFTS Cubescraft (pronounced “kyoob-ee-craft”) Papercraft toys feature interlocking tabs for construction. Each toy is designed to be printed on a standard piece of letter paper. Simply print, cut and fold your model into a cute and fun paper toy. Try This at Home. Print and fold your toys and using your camera, create a short story and send it to: colibri@ilp.edu.mx

with the subject “Christmas Cubes” and you can enter our Christmas Raffle to win a brand new “Christmas Carol” book from our friends at Scholastic.

Download all the cubescrafts by following this link.


Wishes you a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year

Together we Educate!


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I La Paz Newsletter, December 2013 by Instituto La Paz - Issuu