ELECTRICITY VOCABULARY

 

REMEMBERING OUR CONVERSATION ASSISTANTS

On the day before we say goodbye to this year's conversation assistant, we also want to remember the previous* who have been teaching our students ever since we started our Bilingual & Plurilingual Programmes. Thanks to all of them wherever they are now.

[*Including all the existing assistants that have been until I left the school in Dec 2023]

Sarah Wade (USA)

(School year 2022-2023 & 2023-2024)

Kayleigh Vantassel (USA)

(school year 2020-21 & 2021-22)

Joshua DeYoung (USA)

 (school year 2018-19 & 2019-20. Fulbright programme)

Ben Davidson (USA)

 (school year 2017-18. Fulbright programme)

Laura Oxenreiter (USA)

(school year 2016-17)

Byron Santi (USA)

(school year 2015-16)

Tom Pazo (USA)

(school years 2013-14 & 2014-15)

Paul Behrend (USA)

 (school years 2011-12 & 2012-13)

Sarah Needham (UK)

(third term in school year 2010-11) 

(school year 2010-11) + another Canadian girl called Nicole

 

Kasia (UK)

(school year 2008-09 & 2009-10)

Rose (from UK)

(school year 2007-2008)

MODAL DEDUCTIONS ABOUT THE PAST

 

MODAL DEDUCTIONS ABOUT THE PRESENT

 

STOCKHOLM TACKLING TRAFFIC & ENVIRONMENT

CONFUSING: 'RISE' vs 'RAISE'

 

VIDEO TOUR GUIDE OF OUR TWO GERMAN STUDENT EXCHANGE CITIES

 Browsing the internet, I came across this video that gives us a tour guide of the two German cities which have been our destination during our school exchange visits there: Frankfurt & Nuremberg. The video belongs to the series of Rick Davies Europe Travel guides. On it you can see many of the places we've visited in both cities during our stays there. A reminder of some great experiences.

Video: GERMANY'S FRANKFRUT & NÜRNBERG:

THE SCHOOL SAYS GOOD-BYE TO CARLOS, THE CARETAKER

 Today, "Rafael Dieste" says good-bye to our caretaker, Carlos. He hasn't been here many years, but he has definitely become a dear member for all the staff and among the students.

Good luck in your new life, Carlos!

REMEMBERING MY ING3-CLASSROOM

 There was a time, during a period of around 10 years (aprox 2008/9 to 2018/9), when we used to have "subject classrooms" in "Rafael Dieste". That is, each classroom was devoted to a particular subject and mostly that subject was the only one taught in that room, although sometimes and due to availability it was shared with others. It was a way of being able to have specific materials and customize the classroom with English themed issues, in our case.

While this system of classrooms was implemented, I was based mostly in classroom ING3, which was on the second floor and the one nearest to the English Department, all advantages. As a reminder, I've recollected the photos I keep from this classroom. The first picture shows what my classroom (ING3) had on the wall board with projects my students had done over the years for the cultural weeks. The photos below, show the welcoming session to the exchange German students in 2019 and the breakfast that followed. It was 5 years ago today.

The classroom system had to be removed after the COVID lockdown when we returned to classes in September 2019 and hasn't been recovered since and there aren't any plans to, either.

Welcoming German students of 2019 exchange in classroom ING3 (30/4/2019) [link here]

APRIL FOOL'S DAY 2024

 Today's APRIL FOOL'S DAY, all about it on the previous posts from this blog in this link APRIL FOOL.

[14th CW] CULTURAL MELTING POT

This year our Cultural Week, held in March, was devoted to the Cultural Melting Pot. At our school there's a significant percentage of students coming from abroad, so cultural richness is very present.

Different activities have been planned and carried out by the different school departments on the topic of the cultural melting pot, a reality in our society.

As you can see on the video below there were different aspects shown, amoung others:

- Bits of the planet: a tour around tables and foods in the world.

- Melting pot experiences carried out by teachers and others in Canada and Thailand.

- Talks by Echoes from the South (Ecos do Sur).

- Migrants: letters, stories and interviews by people who have changed countries to live.

- Judgement of Democracy.

The Cultural Week closed with the already traditional Homecoming, including sports, competitions and talent shows of students competing in each of their class groups.

Video:

KATE MIDDLETON, THE PRINCESS OF WALES, ANNOUNCES HER ILLNESS ON OFFICIAL VIDEO

Showing Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, official video announcing her illness as an example of a real listening practice as it has been shown on different media and after all the speculation going on about her in the last weeks.

RAFAEL DIESTE'S HOMECOMING 2024

Today IES Rafael Dieste celebrated the III Homecoming 2024! Here's a sneak peek video of the activity. Congratulations to all students taking part.

EXCHANGE 2023-24: FEEDBACK FROM OUR GERMAN PARTNERS

 Bringing you the feedback of the school exchange experience explained by one of the German students. Here's the link to the post in their school's page and below the translation into English.

Unsere Austauschfahrt 2024 nach A Coruña in Spanien

Our exchange trip to A Coruña in Spain in 2024

We, 19 students in the 10th grade of the Kronberger Altkönigschule, had great expectations as we waited impatiently for our plane at Frankfurt Airport on Friday, March 1st. Our destination was A Coruña, a coastal city in the northwest of Spain, where our exchange would take place. After changing planes in Madrid, we met our exchange families and many greetings were exchanged.

On the way to the families' houses, we not only noticed how impressive A Coruña is, but were also able to admire the untouched nature outside the city. The sea made surprisingly high waves, completely opposite to the south of Spain with its Mediterranean weather. In fact, the temperatures hardly differed from those in Germany - it even rained more often.

During the week, in addition to many excursions, we also visited the school of our exchange students and were able to watch the lessons. It wasn't very different from ours, although the Spanish students have some subjects that aren't taught at our school, such as Galician. What was also very striking was the behavior of the Spanish students. They were much more open than German students and their friendships seemed to be much closer than ours.

Our excursions took us to very different places, accompanied by our teachers Ms. Westenburger and Ms. Anselm. In the “Museo del Hombre”, which is a scientific museum about people and the human body, we particularly enjoyed the interactive area where you could, for example, measure your jump height. A particular highlight was our trip to four nearby villages, which were surrounded by idyllic nature and looked like they had come out of a typical Spanish film. After our visits to the lighthouse “La Torre de Hercules” (World Heritage Site) and the aquarium, we were welcomed by the city councilor for education in the town hall. As impressive as it looked from the outside, it was even more beautiful from the inside. Historical paintings hung in every room and everything was so elegantly furnished that you would think you were in a castle.

On Thursday we spent our day in the pilgrim city of Santiago de Compostela. There we visited the huge cathedral, where you can see the tomb of the Apostle Jacob and the breathtaking interior architecture.

In our free time we went on other great trips with our Spanish host families. Some students went to the coast and ate typical specialties, such as pulpo (octopus), or visited Cape Finisterre, the end of the world. Others were very lucky to be able to watch CD Lugo's local derby against Deportivo A Coruña. That was really great!

After this eventful week, it was not easy for many to say goodbye at the airport on Saturday, March 9th. With heavy hearts, we hugged our host families and Spanish friends one last time before we went back to Frankfurt. Each of us learned something from this exchange and made many incredible memories. I can therefore only recommend that everyone take part in such an exchange if they get the opportunity.

Author: 10G student

[14th CW] PIALE PROGRAMME: A MULTICULTURAL EXPERIENCE IN CANADA

This week "Rafael Dieste" celebrated its fourteenth cultural week on the topic of "FUSION CULTURE". Our teachers Isabel Viña Vilas, from the English department and Leticia Ogando López, from Physical Education, both talked to the students of 3rd and 4th ESO and the teaching staff about their experience of multiculturalism in Canada, as participants in the PIALE programme. The differences in both educational systems were also discussed and the students showed great interest in those aspects that could be transferred to our school.

APOSTROPHE WITH TIME

GALICIAN IS ALSO SPOKEN HERE

 "GALICIAN IS ALSO SPOKEN HERE" ("AQUÍ TAMEN SE FALA GALEGO") is a campaign that started off at our school one year ago to promote and show that Galician is also spoken in cities, breaking the prejudices that intend to give a distorted image. This campaign, which spread throughout the shops and businesses of our neighbourhood and city centre, in the immediate environment of each of our students, has now expanded all over Galicia with more than 200 schools taking part, so you can find these poscards or posters in many places around Galicia. The campaign is also promoting Galician music and culture on social media networks. 

Everything about this campaign can be checked out on their website aquitamensefala.com: the videos with Viggo Mortensen, James Rhodes, Tanxugueiras, María Vázquez, football clubs... and many more, who all speak Galician and are proud to show off. The campaign has also reached Germany with our German exchange students.

The image on this post shows the many languages spoken by students of the Rafael Dieste, which proves the diverse linguistic heritage our school holds. It's a fortune to have such a live culture and to drink water from so many fountains. Proud of our diversity!

EXCHANGE 2023-24: Saturday 9th March, GOODBYE TO THE KRONBERG STUDENTS

Today we said goodbye to the 19 students from Kronberg, Germany, who have been with us this last week. Here's the farewell photo at Alvedro airport and all the other complete group photos taken during their stay, but there are previous posts following below this one for each of the days. 

Hoping they have a safe journey back. (Update: All arrived well and on time)

At the same time, this activity is my final collaboration with the school where I've been working for the last 16 years. I'm very proud to have worked here, to have taken part in activities like this one. Thanks again to all my teacher colleagues at school and in this specific activity specially to Julia Westenburger, Lara Anselm and Hilda Fraga, who have had an essential part in setting it up and making it work and also the help supplied by Belén Méndez, Isabel Viña and Isabel López Viñuela and the students taking part in it. It's been a great experience.