sparkles #12
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April Fools' Day , also known as April Fool's Day or All Fools' Day, is an old custom celebrated on the first day of
April. It’s been widely celebrated throughout most European cultures since the 19th century, although it is not a
national holiday in any country. It is the day when people play practical jokes and hoaxes on each other, both the
jokes and their victims being known as "April fools". False stories may be reported by the press and other media on
this day and explained the day after. A widespread theory for the origin of the holiday holds that those who continued
to celebrate New Year's Day on April 1st after the 1582 implementation of the Gregorian Christian calendar were
mocked as fools. Most April Fool jokes are in played for fun and not meant to harm anyone. The best trick is the one
where everyone laughs, especially the person upon whom the joke has been played. ▪ M.I.
DID YOU KNOW? - APRIL FOOLS’ DAY
days after Easter.
We dedicated the
Students’ Corner to
volunteering. We believe
it is an amazing thing to
be able to give back to
the community, share
what you have with
others, even if the only
thing you have to give is
your time. So, read about
the ways you can choose
your worthy cause and
how to get started - I
promise it will be worth it!
And just to show you that
we aren’t all about long
articles and giving pure
facts on various
important dates, I’m
proud to say that the
section on poetry and it’s
value is presented with a
twist by our very own
published and
established writer and
poet Slađan Lipovec,
born and raised near our
hometown Čazma.
Last, but not least, to our
esteemed colleagues, we
offer advice on how to
continue improving
yourselves daily to be
more and more
successful in your
classrooms and help your
students thrive.
Have an amazing spring
break, everybody, and
see you in May! ▪ M.I.
Spring break - battery charging...
Hello again, dear
Sparkles© fans, and
welcome to our April
issue. We’ve prepared all
sorts of things for you to
enjoy while on your
spring break! We’re all a
bit tired now so spring
break couldn’t be coming
at a better time for us to
recharge our batteries so
we can be fully prepared
for the challenges the
last two months of the
school year have in store
for us.
The April issue is, of
course, all about Easter
holidays, full of vibrant
colours and happy
thoughts. Moreover, you
will find out something
about St George - the
patron saint of England,
whose day is just three
Monthly newsletter for and by English learners and teachers
Editors:
Maja Ivanović, prof. Komercijalna i trgovačka škola Bjelovar
Irena Pavlović, prof. mentor Srednja škola Čazma
email: [email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sparkles.newsletter
Inside this issue:
Easter 2
St George’s Day 3
National Volunteer Week 4
National Poetry Month 6
Teachers You should never turn into 8
CONTRIBUTORS TO
THIS ISSUE:
Slađan Lipovec, writer and poet Romana Gašpar, School of Economics and Tourism Daruvar
Svjetlana Brkić Milivojević, School of Economics and Tourism Daruvar Ivan Lukovečki, cartoon artist Dario Vidić, High School Čazma
"The first of April is the
day we remember what
we are the other 364 days
of the year." Mark Twain
Issue 12/14 April 2014
EASTER
In the USA on Easter Day there is a traditional Easter egg hunt in every city and town. Parents tell their children that the Easter bunny hid many eggs in the park and the children must find them. They each have a basket with them and the child who finds most eggs wins. This tradition was introduced by German immigrants long ago. There is another ancient Easter tradition. On Easter Monday children roll their eggs down a hill. The first egg that reaches the bottom of the hill without breaking is the winner. The famous egg-rolling contest takes place outside the White House in Washington DC on Easter Monday when the President of the United States invites children to roll eggs on the lawn of the White House. Hot Cross Buns are a special Easter dish. These are small sweet cakes with a cross on top as a sign of Christ’s death on a cross. In Britain they are usually eaten on Good Friday. In many American cities and towns there is an Easter Bonnet Parade where girls and women with funny and bizarre Easter hats and caps march in the parade. Most women make their own bonnets and the most original one gets a prize. The most famous Easter Bonnet Parade is in New York City, on Fifth Avenue. ▪ M.I.
Easter is an important Christian festivity. On Easter people celebrate Christ’s resurrection on the third day after his death. Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon in March. It is between March 22nd and April 25th. The origin of the English word Easter is uncertain. It probably comes from the pagan goddess of spring, Eostre. Pagan tribes had special festivals to celebrate the arrival of spring, many of which are still well known today. Flowers, eggs, rabbits and bunnies and the tradition of the Easter basket are the most famous symbols of Easter. This tradition goes back a long time; the pagans offered their eggs in grass baskets to the goddess Eostre. In Britain and in the United States people usually send Easter cards to friends and relatives. For most Christians Easter morning starts with a church service that can take place in a garden or a park. To celebrate Easter and the arrival of spring everyone wears something new: a new dress, a new suit, or new shoes. Before the Easter Day, American and British children paint Easter eggs with bright colours and designs. Coloured eggs were exchanged at ancient spring festivals. The egg is an old symbol of life and fertility.
Page 2
THIS MONTH’S BUZZ
Easter eggs
in a basket
Easter bunny Easter egg-roll at the White House,
2013 Hot Cross Buns
Page 3
St George’s Day - A Day for England
St George
The History of St George’s Day
In 1222 the Council of Oxford declared April
23rd to be St George’s Day
It was not until 1348 that St George became the
Patron Saint of England
In 1415, St George’s Day was declared a
national feast day and holiday in England
However, after the union with Scotland at the end
of the 18th Century, the tradition diminished and since has not been widely acknowledged and is
no longer a national holiday
Traditional customs were to fly the St George’s
flag and wear a red rose in one’s lapel
The hymn ‘Jerusalem’ was also sung on the 23rd
April, or the nearest Sunday to that date, in churches across the nation
The 23 April 1616 was also the date of the death
of the English playwright William Shakespeare
and UNESCO marked this historic date by declaring it the International Day of the Book
Facts of St George’s life have passed through the centuries growing in legend and myth. However, he
must have been some character in his lifetime for his
reputation to have survived for almost 1,700 years!
There are many accounts giving what are believed to be the facts outlining the life of England’s Patron Saint.
Below are the widely accepted ‘facts’ of St George’s
life.
St George was born to Christian parents in A.D.
270 (3rd Century) in Cappadocia, now Eastern Turkey
He moved to Palestine with his Mother and
became a Roman soldier, rising to the high rank of
Tribunus Militum
However, he later resigned his military post and
protested against his pagan leader, the Emperor Diocletian (245-313 AD), who led Rome’s
persecution of Christians
His rebellion against the Emperor resulted in his
imprisonment, but even after torture he stayed true to his faith
The enraged Diocletian had St George dragged
through the streets of Nicomedia, Turkey, on the 23rd of April 303 AD and had him beheaded
The Emperor’s wife was so inspired by St
George’s bravery and loyalty to his religion, that
she too became a Christian and was subsequently executed for her faith
St George & The Dragon
The medieval legend of St George and the dragon is over a thousand years old. The tale goes that the
dragon made its nest by the fresh water spring near the town of Silene in Libya. When people came to
collect water, they inadvertently disturbed the dragon
and so offered sheep as a distraction.
After time, there were simply no sheep left to offer the dragon and so the people of Silene decided to chose a maiden from the town by drawing lots. When the
results were read, it was revealed that the princess was to be the dragon’s next victim. Despite the
Monarch’s protest his daughter Cleolinda was offered
to the dragon...
However, at the moment of offering, a knight from the Crusades came riding by on his white stallion. St George dismounted and drew his sword, protecting
himself with the sign of the cross. He fought the dragon on foot and managed to slay the beast and saved the
princess. The people of Silene were exceptionally grateful and abandoned their pagan beliefs to
convert to Christianity.
“Cry God for Harry, England
and St George!” William Shakespeare
Devoting some time to volunteers is an amazing idea and that is why we've decided to promote National Volunteer Week, currently taking place in Canada. It is all about inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities. It’s about demonstrating to others that by working together, all of us have the fortitude to meet our challenges and accomplish our goals.
This is the perfect opportunity for everyone to seize the moment and do one of two things: either share the spotlight that volunteering deserves but rarely receives if you are already into it or find out what you can do and how you can get involved. Simultaneously, you can leverage this window of opportunity to advance your individual cause and promote volunteer commitment in your community. ▪ I.P.
#6: It promotes personal growth and
self esteem as understanding community
needs helps foster empathy and
self-efficacy.
#5: Volunteering strengthens your
community. As a volunteer you help
support families & youth, improve
schools, beautify the community etc.
#4: You learn a lot. Volunteers learn
things about themselves (hidden talents
that may change one's view on their own
worth), government (through working
with local non-profit agencies, volunteers
learn about the functions and operation of
government) and community (by gaining
#10: It's good for you.
Volunteering provides physical & mental
rewards. It reduces stress and makes you
healthier.
#9: It saves resources.
Volunteering provides valuable
community services so more money can
be spent on local improvements.
#8: Volunteers gain professional
experience and you can test out a career.
#7: It brings people together. You
assist in uniting people from diverse
backgrounds to work toward a common
goal and building camaraderie and
teamwork.
knowledge of local resources available to
solve community needs).
#3: You get a chance to give back.
People like to support community
resources that they use themselves or that
benefit people they care about.
#2: Volunteering encourages civic
responsibility. Community service and
volunteerism are an investment in our
community and the people who live in it.
#1: You make a difference.
Every person counts!
National Volunteer Week
Where to find volunteer
opportunities?
Community theatres,
museums, and monuments
Libraries or senior centres
Service organizations
Youth organizations,
sports teams and
after-school programs
Historical restorations and
national parks
Places of worship such as
churches or synagogues
Online databases
Ask yourself if there is something specific
you want to do.
Do you want to…
…make it better around where you live
…meet people different from you
…try something new
…do something with your spare time
…see a different way of life / new places
…have a go at the type of work you might want to do as a
full-time job
…do more with your interests / hobbies
…do something you're good at?
Why
Volunteer???
Community Service:
Top 10 Reasons to Volunteer
STUDENTS’ CORNER
Tips for Getting
Started
Page 4
Page 5
LANGUAGE TITBITS
A Leopard Can’t Change His Spots
No matter how hard a leopard concentrates, it cannot change the pattern
on its skin. Just like that, people can’t change who they really are at heart.
Basically, this idiom means: you are who you are.
Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve
People who wear their heart on their sleeve don't have nicely adorned shirt but
freely show and express all of their emotions, as though their hearts were on
the outside of their body.
When Pigs Fly
Simply said, pigs about to sprout wings and take flight anytime soon - I don’t think
so - so this idiom means never. If someone says things are going to be done when
pigs fly, don't wait for it - it is not going to happen.
Tie the Knot
To tie the knot is an idiom left over from the old tradition of hand fasting and means to get
married. Older versions of wedding ceremonies included the hands of the bride
and groom be tied together with a length of ribbon to symbolize that their lives were
fastened together permanently.
Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover
Just like we actually should not choose what we are going to read according to
the picture on the book cover, it is a good idea to give something a chance even if
outward appearance is not immediately attractive. Things in life are
not always what they appear to be at first glance.
CHECK IT OUT! Have you heard this? Have you seen this? Have you read this?
The game, once more, is
afoot. The world's
greatest private
detective returns to solve
another case. Anthony
Horowitz is not the first to
add to the Holmesian
canon, but this novel is
the first written with the
endorsement of the Conan Doyle estate.
It is neither a pastiche nor an update. It is
(hence the cover) "the new Sherlock
Holmes novel". Horowitz is the anointed
successor. And to whom much is given, of
him shall much be required. I'm happy to
say it turned out he fulfilled the task. Old
and new Holmes' lovers will enjoy it. ▪
I.P.
12 Years a Slave is a 2013
British-American historical
drama and an adaptation of
the 1853 memoir by Solomon
Northup, a New York
State-born free African
American kidnapped in
Washington, D.C., in 1841
and sold into slavery to work on
plantations in the state of Louisiana for
twelve years before his release. The film
won three Academy Awards: Best
Picture , Best Supporting Actress and Best
Adapted Screenplay; the Golden Globe
for Best Motion Picture - Drama and the
British Academy of Film and Television
Arts the Best Film and the Best Actor
award. ▪ M.I.
Gravity: Original
Motion Picture
Soundtrack is the
music album of the
3D space drama
film Gravity,
written and conducted
by British film composer Steven
Price. Price's score has been applauded
by critics and audiences alike. It was
nominated for and won multiple awards
in the best original score category at
several ceremonies, among which is the
Academy Award for Best Original Score.
It’s been called the most intelligent and
most satisfying score for a science fiction
movie since “Mission to Mars.” ▪ M.I.
Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in
1996, National Poetry Month is now held every April,
when schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and
poets throughout the United States band together to
celebrate poetry and its vital place in American
culture. Thousands of organizations participate
through readings, festivals, book displays, workshops,
and other events.
National Poetry Month is a month-long, national
celebration of poetry established by the Academy of
American Poets. The concept is to widen the attention
of individuals and the media—to the art of poetry, to
living poets, to our complex poetic heritage, and to
poetry books and journals of wide aesthetic range and
concern. We hope to increase the visibility and
availability of poetry in popular culture while
acknowledging and celebrating poetry’s ability to
sustain itself in the many places where it is practiced
and appreciated.
Page 6
National Poetry Month in the USA
Slađan Lipovec,
writer and poet
Wild nights - Wild nights! By Emily Dickinson
Wild nights - Wild nights!
Were I with thee
Wild nights should be
Our luxury!
Futile - the winds -
To a Heart in port -
Done with the Compass -
Done with the Chart!
Rowing in Eden -
Ah - the Sea!
Might I but moor - tonight -
In thee!
Source: The Poems of Emily Dickinson Edited by R. W.
Franklin (Harvard University Press, 1999)
Like strong coffee to wake you up
…and poems are nothing else but some auxiliary lungs, necessary to breathe normally in a world which suffocates daily in exhaust and odour.
Branislav Oblučar
Let us not be fooled by appearances. By brevity. Brevity of the verse versus the length of the row of a sentence in prose, brevity of a poem versus the volume of a novel. Because different principles and laws rule inside of them. Naturally, this is not the discussion on which literary genre is more or less valuable, but on the ways of creating them and the mechanisms occurring while reading. And while we might easily become drowsy while watching a film or reading a novel, following the linear course of narration, poetry is like fragrant coffee, ideal for waking you up. It disrupts the linear course of understanding the text and the world and achieves other effects by intuitively combining the pieces of the world. Weather it is based on acoustic or visual connections, or any other principles, a poem requires more brain activity to be able to find the links among the verses and the words they are made up of. If we were to compare it to the concentration and eye movement, while reading works of prose, predictably, our eyes move from the left to the right margin and then again, predictably, into the next row, but a poem should be followed in all directions, from left to right, from top to bottom, returning many times and going through it again, so a sketch of the movement would look like an irregular electrocardiogram. And speaking of hearts, it is no coincidence, poetry first and foremost affects emotions, the generally accepted symbol of which is the aforementioned word, and that is its added value and the difference between the other literary kinds: to say as much as possible using a small amount of room and making it last forever. That is why, for example, in the poem “Wild Nights, Wild Nights” by Emily Dickinson, written over 150 years ago, multiple readings will unveil more general and individual truths about love and lust than in most contemporary so-called romance novels. And although searching for sole and singular meaning in poetry will never bear an expected rational result (we can never be certain of “what the author wanted to say”), perhaps that is the attraction it hides – to drive us to seek, to move forward, to embark on the adventure of reading. And since every adventure leads up to a new one, writing is the next step.
This, of course, is true of the ones who don’t feel like
sleeping. ▪ S.L.
The meeting of the Comenius project
Hidden Talents funded by Agency for
mobility and EU programmes took
place in the town of Kežmarok,
Slovakia. This was a teachers
exchange between Croatia and
Slovakia. Headteacher Dinka
Ivanović, coordinator Svjetlana Brkić
Milivojević , three teachers (Mihaela
Amić, Romana Gašpar and Natalija
Poredski) and their Spanish assistant
Paula Carerra Gonzales had an
opportunity to get to know the
Slovakian educational system,
compare it to the Croatian system and
discuss their similarities and
differences.
Svjetlana Brkić Milivojević and
Romana Gašpar presented their town,
school and talents discovered during
Spanish heritage became a six-day
holiday for the students of School of
Economics and Tourism Daruvar Maja
Supan, Nikolina Dočkal and Sanja
Pizerak who, accompanied by their
teachers Romana Gašpar and
Natalija Poredski, participated in the
second Comenius project meeting of
Agency for mobility and EU
programmes aptly named My
Heritage, Your Holiday.
Although meeting their peers from
seven different countries and getting
to know their way of life was the most
important part of this meeting, the
participants of the meeting in
Villanueva de la Serena presented
Hidden talents in Kežmarok, Slovakia (March 17, 2014- March 21, 2014)
My Heritage, Your Holiday – Spain!
time learning things they won't be
needing during their tertiary education
(primarily Arts, Music and R.E.), they
suggest introducing a set number of
core subjects (mother tongue, maths,
foreign languages, social studies and
science) and a number of electives to
answer particular student's needs.
Other ideas suggest introducing prep
(time after lessons spent in school
doing homework and studying), ask for
more interdisciplinary learning and
more projects, and wonder why there
aren't students' lockers and canteens in
all schools. Once again fifteen and
sixteen-year-olds have proven they
care about important issues and have
something to say about certain topics. ▪
I.P.
Ideal schools project
While teachers often spend time
discussing what a good school is
among themselves, we rarely ask our
students what they have to say about
the topic. The thought has crossed my
mind during the lesson about
alternative educational styles and I
decided to see how my sophomores
feel about their school and the
curriculum and what, in their opinion,
an ideal school looks like.
The presentations they created were
far from shallow; they've given it
plenty of thought and came up with
very persuasive arguments why some
things should be changed. The
problem they'd first deal with is the
number of subjects they have in
grammar school; instead of wasting
Page 7 NEWS FROM SCHOOLS
The Roman
amphitheatre
in Merida
The project logo
– Daisy with
greetings in the
partner
languages
Filip
Sabolović
2.c
High school
Čazma
Maja Trulec
2.c
High school
Čazma
the project in German and English,
while their assistant Paula Carrera
Gonzales presented Spain and their
traditions, culture and customs.
The coordinators and the other
teachers have discussed the upcoming
meeting in Romania, the tasks that
have to be done by then and a short
talent show each country has to
prepare with their students for the
Romanian meeting in June.
Due to the hospitality of the Slovakian
teachers, the Croatian team had an
opportunity to see beautiful landscape
of the Tatra Mountains, towns of
Kežmarok and Poprad, and on their
way home visit Krakow, one of the
oldest and most beautiful cities in
Poland. ▪ S.B.M.
some of the sites in their countries
under UNESCO protection. The
students of School of Economics and
Tourism Daruvar presented Split and
Dubrovnik. The participants also
visited Merida, a university city under
UNESCO protection built on the
remains of ancient Roman buildings,
and medieval cities Trujillo and
Cacares. All partners had a task to
create a logo for the project, and the
students and the teachers of School of
Economics and Tourism Daruvar are
proud to announce that their logo was
chosen to present the project. The
author of the logo is Ivana Andričević.
▪ R.G.
We all know pretty well that not all of us
were born for the classroom.
Everyone has, during the course of studies,
encountered numerous teachers whose
teaching styles did not do much or that we
simply did not appreciate. Of course, such
people cannot inspire anyone or impact
one's academic development. Here are five
types of teachers no one should ever turn
into.
The Disciplinarian - very strict and loud - lashing out with an angry command when frustrated, upset, or disappointed - finds things like talking out of turn and being late completely unacceptable - nothing is ever his fault - students tend to be afraid of him
- shattering their confidence
The Friend - easygoing and lenient - lesson plans designed to be fun and active - tries to relate to students - never challenges students to step outside their comfort zones - never embarrasses them - students less productive due to lack of discipline and focus and not driven to work hard as they meet endless praise in the classroom regardless of performance The Shy Guy/Gal - too timid to be put in front of a classroom - speaks so softly students sitting in the back can't hear - lacks the self confidence to assert his
authority and even the most basic classroom management skills - students unwilling to give him the respect a teacher deserves and disregard instructions - leaves class each day feeling defeated - students prey on his weakness and will act poorly as there is no real consequence for their actions The Lecturer - believes that if something is repeated enough times, students will understand - requires that students just repeat exactly what he said - likely to lecture almost exclusively in his native language - when students struggle with material, will start speaking more loudly as if this will help - with this type of instructor students suffer from lack of speaking practice and do not comprehend the meaning behind the words The Timewaster - likes to dominate speaking time - regularly holds one-sided discussions about topics completely unrelated to the lesson - will half-heartedly attempt to engage students in material that is neither relevant nor interesting to them - upon failing will simply continue along the same path - classes end without getting to the main point of the lesson - students feel as if not gaining anything by attending classes and are frustrated
- particularly driven individuals do well through
self study ; the rest of the class will be sorely
deprived of the education they need ▪ I.P.
5 Types Of Teachers You should never turn into
Page 8
TEACHERS’ CORNER
Have you tried...
Evernote is a brilliant tool for teachers as well as
learners because it makes it easy to remember things
from your everyday life using your computer, phone,
tablet and the web. For teachers, it is a handy way of
saving anything you come across online or create
offline that could come in handy later on, for use in lessons or as a reference. For learners, the
same applies, but in addition learners can use it as a repository for their work – an e-portfolio.
Get learners to create their own account and use it as described above, putting in anything they
feel worth holding on to. They could create notebooks for different things, including one or more
for their own work. You could also create a class account, for project work. Each group could
have their own notebook and use it for collaboration.
CPD in 10 minutes or less
This month's CPD in ten minutes or less calls for some introspection. The picture below lists all the
digital skills any 21st century teacher should have. Have you mastered all of them?