Edition 31, December 2012 ISSN: X

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1 Edition 31, December 2012 ISSN: X website: 1

2 Dear parents and students, welcome to another holiday issue of our newspaper Mindbubbles. Another year has come to its end and a new year is coming filled with hopes and dreams for a better future for all of us. Lets all set our goals for this new year and let us try to achieve them so that we may have a constructive year. We wish you all Merry Christmas and a happy new year. Yours sincerely, Demetra Aristodemou KES School of Languages Coordinator Αγαπητοί γονείς και μαθητές, Σας καλωσορίζω σε ένα ακόμη γιορτινό τεύχος της εφημερίδας μας «Mindbubbles». Μια ακόμα χρονιά έχει φτάσει στο τέλος της και ένας καινούριος χρόνος έρχεται γεμάτος όνειρα και ελπίδα για ένα καλύτερο αύριο για μας και τα παιδιά μας. Ας θέσουμε όλοι τους στόχους μας γι αυτή τη χρονιά και ας προσπαθήσουμε να τους υλοποιήσουμε για ένα δυναμικό και εποικοδομητικό χρόνο. Ευχόμαστε ολόψυχα σε όλους Καλά Χριστούγεννα και Καλή Χρονιά. Φιλικά, ήμητρα Αριστοδήμου Συντονίστρια KES School of Languages Προετοιμασία μαθητών για τις Εξωτερικές Εξετάσεις του Cambridge (Αγγλίας) Φέτος, όπως κάθε χρονιά, οι μαθητές μας προετοιμάζονται για τις εξωτερικές εξετάσεις του Cambridge. Η προετοιμασία αρχίζει με το ξεκίνημα της σχολικής χρονιάς και με τα βασικά βιβλία των παιδιών (Smart A and Smart B, Full Blast 1, 2, 3, 4, Traveller B2 and Success International English Skills for IGCSE). Οι τάξεις των ES1, ES2, ES3 και SS1 εξασκούνται επιπλέον με τη βοήθεια του Belt System (εκμάθηση αγγλικών μέσω ηλεκτρονικού υπολογιστή). Λίγο μετά το Πάσχα αρχίζει η προετοιμασία από τα βιβλία των παιδιών που εστιάζουν στις εξωτερικές εξετάσεις. Για τους Young Learners (ES2 - Starters, ES3 Movers, SS1 Flyers) περισσότερη έμφαση δίνεται στο λεξιλόγιο των παιδιών (υπάρχει στο τέλος των βιβλίων και πρέπει να καλυφθεί μέχρι τις εξετάσεις), στην ικανότητα τους στο Listening και στο Speaking. Στις μικρότερες τάξεις οι εξετάσεις μοιάζουν με παιχνίδι αλλά είναι μια προετοιμασία των παιδιών για τις εξετάσεις που θα ακολουθήσουν τα επόμενα χρόνια. Οι πρώτες εξετάσεις είναι απλές αλλά πολύ σημαντικές και καλό είναι όλα τα παιδιά να τις παρακαθίσουν για να πάρουν μια πρώτη γεύση σε ότι αφορά εξωτερικές εξετάσεις. Στις μεγαλύτερες τάξεις των SS2 KET, SS3 PET, FCE και IGCSE απαιτείται περισσότερη προσπάθεια και συγκέντρωση. Με τη δική μας καθοδήγηση, την επιμελή δουλειά των παιδιών και τη δική σας στήριξη είμαστε σίγουροι ότι θα έχουμε τα επιθυμητά αποτελέσματα. Τμήμα Εξέταση Ημερομηνία Εξέτασης ES2 Starters June 2013 ES3 Movers June 2013 SS1 Flyers June 2013 SS2 KET May / June 2013 SS3 PET May / June 2013 FCE FCE May / June 2013 IGCSE IGCSE Reading/ Writing: May 2013 Listening: May

3 Christmas is a Time for Sharing by Barbara Laughlin Old stories passed down through the years "what grandpa did one Christmas eve" Had you laughing through your tears Christmas is a time - for caring About your family, neighbours and friends Lending a hand to others in need before the season ends Christmas is a time - for giving Presents that came from your heart Watching the children, hearing their laughter As the packages are torn apart Christmas is a time - for peace When soldiers lay aside their guns And raise a glass to peace and good will To every father and every son Christmas is a time - for remembering Family not with us on Christmas morn And why people everywhere celebrate The night our saviour was born 3

4 Dear George, Sorry I haven t written for so long but I was busy with my school work. I ve got some interesting news to tell you. Yesterday, when I was in class we heard the school bell ringing. I thought it was for our break but it wasn t. One student came over our class and told us that somebody called and said that there was a bomb at school. We all panicked and our teachers told us to leave the school. Then police officers with police dogs went in the school and they started searching. At the end, they realized that it was a phone prank. I didn t know what to do, to laugh or feel sorry for this guys. Well, I missed four hours from school lessons so it was a really nice day! What about you? Has anything exciting happened at your school recently? Please write back and let me know. Love, Alex Alex Soteriou Class: SS2 This is my friend Andreas. He s wearing a yellow and black uniform. He s playing football. This is my friend Polixeni. She s wearing a blue and white t-shirt. She s watching TV. This is me. I m wearing a black and yellow uniform. I m playing football. Theophanis Stylianou Class: ES2 This is my friend Anastasia. She is wearing white shoes and a grey uniform. She is writing. This is my friend Andrea. She is wearing gold boots and black trousers. She is doing her exercises. This is me. I am wearing a grey t-shirt. I am studying science. It s my favorite subject. Marilena Fotsiou Class: ES2 This is my friend Demetriana. She s wearing a pink dress. She is listening to music. This is my friend Froso. She s wearing a green dress. She s playing video games. This is me. I m wearing a green and white t-shirt and black trousers. I m listening to music. Nikol Stylianou Class: ES2 4

5 Dear Alexandra, How are you? I m sorry for not writing for such a long time. I had a rough time with the schools. I m writing to tell you my news. This year I m in Year six and we have lots of studying to do. It s nothing compared to the exams of my ballet which are going to be in January. This week a school came to ours to play football with us. That s when I remembered of you! I told my friend about you and your school. They were kind of thrilled when I told them how we met in Great Britain. But enough about me. How s school? Did anybody new come to your class? Reply as soon as you can. That s all for now. I have to go do my homework now! Have a good school year, Maria Maria Gerasymenko Class: Pre-FCE Dear Sir/Madam, I m writing for the Position advertised in Phileleftheros newspaper on 16 th of November. I m eighteen years old and I m attending New York University. I think I have all the experience and skills. I know four languages Spanish, French, Greek and English. I attended Computer classes and I have good communication skills. I consider myself as hard working and very friendly. I have enclosed my Curriculum Vitae. I hope my application will be taken into consideration. Yours faithfully, Costas Miguel Campos Costas Miguel Campos Class: Pre-FCE 5

6 Field trips are of no educational value. Discuss Some people think that field trips are important and students must join them. Other people think that field trips are a waste of time. Field trips have many advantages. They are an important part in education. Students do lessons in boring classes with teachers who just talk and talk. Students concentration span is at least twenty minutes, so they understand only a few things because they get bored. Field trips are a way to get relaxed and simultaneously to a lesson. For example, when they go to a museum they are going to have some fun but they are going to pay the most of their attention to the things that they will learn. For this reason students must join field trips because they help them. Field trips also have many disadvantages because some students give all their attention to anything else except the reason that they go on a field trip for. Specifically, they think only what they are going to wear, eat, bring with them and do there. They believe that field trips are just a way to get relaxed, be free and do anything they want. For this reason field trips must be banned. To sum up, field trips offer students good and bad things. My opinion is that students must join field trips because they get new knowledge and get relaxed. Karina Simonian Class: Pre-FCE My city My city where I live is Nicosia. It s a small city, the only one divided all over the world. It s almost in the middle of the island. The population of this island is about six hundred thousand. There re many means of transport here like buses, cars, taxis and motorbikes but no trains. Also, we have some interesting sights. One impressive is the Liberty statue. Another historical sight is the ancient rains of the walls of the old city. Moreover, we have a museum which is called Levendio Museum. Some old buildings are the old Library and the old post office which are really impressive. In Nicosia you can go for a picnic to a park. Also you can go to a cafe or in to the cinema with friends. In addition you can go to a club at night. I love my city because I feel it like my home. It s a place that I never will forget. Maria - Eleni Papadopoulou Class: SS2 6

7 My name s Maria and this is my family. My father s name is Xenophon. He has got black hair. My mother s name is Konsta-ntina. She has got green eyes and blonde hair. My sister s name is Helen. She is thirteen years old. We have got one cat. Her name is Lily. It s very beautiful. Maria Xenophontos Class: ES2 My name is Valentina and this is my family. My father has got a beard and curly hair too. My mother has got fair hair. My sister, Tziortziana is 25 years old. I ve got two cousins too. Their names are Miltiana and Miltos. We have got a big cat. His name is Simba! Valentina Anxel Class: ES2 Nefeli Xouloudis Class: ES2 7

8 Lulu is a little polar bear who lives in an igloo on the polar ice cap. On Christmas Eve, his eyes shining with excitement, he asks his mum: - Mum, I ve been good this year, haven t I? - Of course you have dear. You re a very good little bear. - Can I write my letter to Santa Claus then? - Of course you can, replies his mum, but after that, you ll have to go to bed, because it s already late. So Lulu gets down to work, fountain pen in paw before a blank sheet of paper. Dear Santa Claus, I hope that you are well, and your little helpers too. This year, I would like: - A long woolen scarf (I get cold on the ice cap sometimes) - A wooden sledge - A fishing rod Please! (It doesn t matter if you can t bring every single present) Thank you Hugs and kisses Lulu After having finished his letter to Santa Claus, Lulu went to bed. But before he went off to sleep, he thought once more about what he d written. Of course, he d really, really like to have all these presents. But what he d like to do most of all would be to meet Santa Claus himself and to go for a ride in his sleigh. Lulu dozed off, dreaming of an old man with a white beard, a huge sack full of presents and a sleigh that was as fast as the wind. Tomorrow, he d post his letter at the top of White Angel Hill. The next morning, Lulu got up very early. He got his backpack ready, in which he put his letter and his lunch it was a long journey, after all. He said goodbye to his parents and started off. It was still cold, but the sun had started to rise over the ice pack. Far off in the distance, Lulu spied the hill. It looked like it was a million miles away! But the brave, determined little bear kept on walking, although he was already exhausted. 8

9 He sat down on a little block of ice and set his backpack down next to him. The sun s rays warmed his hands and face just a bit. He was so tired he closed his eyelids and dropped off to sleep. When he opened them again, he was seized with panic! The sun had melted the ice, and all around him there was nothing but water, it was like being trapped on a tiny island! The sun was starting to set. He couldn t go back home, or go on to the hill... He sank down onto the block of ice in despair and big, fat tears trickled down his furry coat. "I m lost. I can t get back home and I can t post my letter to Santa Claus." However, just as darkness was beginning to spread over the ice cap, a light shone in the sky and a very faint jingling sound reached his ears. Lulu looked up into the starry sky. What do you think he saw? He could hardly believe his eyes... Santa Claus sleigh, pulled by its team of reindeer! Above him the sleigh began to slow down, before landing on the ice, leaving a trail of silver stars in its wake. Lulu stood open-mouthed in amazement before the man with the white beard, who said: "Are you coming, my little fellow? I m going to take you back to your home". All his sadness and fears forgotten, Lulu climbed into the sleigh. The little bear was dumbstruck! He Lulu was flying over the ocean in Santa Claus magnificent sleigh! He was so excited at how fast they were going, he even forgot all about his letter and the presents he wanted for Christmas. None of that mattered any more his dream had come true! A few minutes later, the sleigh came to a stop outside his igloo. The little bear gave Santa Claus a big hug to thank him. The old man gave him a wink and his fine scarlet woolly hat. "The pleasure was all mine, little fellow! Merry Christmas!" and quick as a flash, he disappeared into the sky. "Darling, you re back!" Lulu s parents rushed towards him and held him in their arms. "We were so scared, little cub, where were you?" his dad asked. "Santa Claus gave me a wonderful present!" the little bear replied, still all excited. "He s given us the best possible present to us as well" said his mum, hugging her little bear cub very tightly in her arms. Written by Lydie Jaillon Elfinet Sarl, all rights reserved. Pictures: shutterstock.com Pushkin 9

10 Toiler paper tube reindeer Materials: Steps: Toilet paper tube, Cardboard, Scissors, Craft knife, White glue, Poster paint or acrylic paint, Paint brush, Pencil, Ruler, Wiggle eyes, Red pompom, Glue gun (optional), Ribbon (optional) 1. Draw a pair of lines spanning half of a toilet paper tube's circumference near both its edges. 2. Make a slit following each line you drew. 3. Create a pair of legs following these steps: - Make a circle by tracing the base of the toilet paper tube onto cardboard. - Define the length of the legs by drawing a horizontal line below the circle. - Draw a pair of vertical lines to mark the outer edges of the legs. - Draw another pair of lines between the first pair to define the inner edges of the legs. - Cut out the entire piece. 4. Create an identical piece to make a second pair of legs. 5. Apply glue along the top curved portion of each pair of cardboard legs before inserting them into a slit on the toilet paper tube. Push the piece gently until its curved edges are touching the inner walls of the paper tube. 6. After positioning both pairs of cardboard legs, your toilet paper tube should be able to stand well. You may also notice that the cardboard leg pieces cover the openings on both ends of the toilet paper tube. 7. Draw a reindeer head onto cardboard or construction paper. Start out with a basic shape like an oval or a trapezoid, and then draw a pair of ears as well as a pair of branching antlers. 8. Cut out the reindeer head and glue it along the top portion of a toilet paper tube edge. Use white glue for a construction paper head but you will need a stronger adhesive such as hot glue gun or tacky glue for a heavier cardboard head. 9. Draw and cut a tail from cardboard or construction paper. Fold a small portion of its base to make a bottom tab. Glue the tail by its tab from the inner portion of the paper tube edge opposite the head. 10. Once the glue has dried, paint the entire reindeer with poster paint or acrylic paint. Remember to paint on hooves and use a different shade of brown for the antlers. 11. Complete your reindeer by gluing on a pair of wiggle eyes and a fluffy pompom nose. You may also make a scarf for your reindeer by tying a fabric ribbon around its neck. 10

11 Join the dots 11

12 Sudoku for kids Coloring by numbers = grey = brown = red = purple = green = blue 12

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15 Christmas Cookies Ingredients: For the cookies: 6.3 oz flour 3.2 oz sugar 2.1 oz softened butter 1 egg vanilla extract For the frosting: 7 oz powdered sugar 2 tablespoons of lemon juice 1 packet of small colored candy Preparation: 1. Mix the flour, sugar and butter, then add the egg and a few drops of vanilla. Ask an adult to heat the oven to 390 F (medium heat). 2. Place a sheet of parchment paper onto a baking sheet ready for the oven. 3. Roll the dough (0.4 inches thick) onto a table top dusted with flour. Using a knife, cut out whatever letters and shapes you want (you may get some inspiration from the cookie cutters that we suggest or else use other cutters). 4. Set the cookies you cut out onto the baking sheet. 5. Ask an adult to place the baking sheet in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. 6. To make the frosting, put the lemon juice into a bowl and add the powdered sugar little by little. Spread the frosting over the cookies while they re still hot and have some fun decorating them with the candy. suggested cookie cutters 15

16 Edition Team: Demetra Aristodemou Angela Philippou KES School of Languages Coordinator Public Relations & Marketing Manager Text Illustrations: KES School of Languages Students 2012 KES SCHOOLS LTD. All rights reserved. Material in this issue may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form or format without the permission from the publisher. Printed at KES SCHOOLS premises. 16