Edition 28, April 2012 ISSN: X

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1 Edition 28, April 2012 ISSN: X website: 1

2 Αγαπητοί γονείς, Χαίρομαι που μου δίνεται ξανά η ευκαιρία να επικοινωνήσω μαζί σας μέσω της εφημερίδας του φροντιστηρίου μας. Θα ήθελα να σας ευχαριστήσω εκ μέρους όλων των συναδέλφων για την συνεργασία σας και την άμεση ανταπόκρισή σας σε τυχόν προβλήματα που είχαμε να αντιμετωπίσουμε με τα παιδιά σας. Να ξέρετε πάντα ότι η συνεργασία μεταξύ σχολείου και γονιών είναι απαραίτητη για την όμαλη λειτουργία του εκπαιδευτικού συστήματος, και πάντα για το καλό των παιδιών σας. Ελπίζω και εύχομαι να συνεχίσουμε έτσι μέχρι το τέλος της σχολικής χρονιάς. Να είστε σίγουροι οτι θα βοηθήσουμε τα παιδιά σας όσο περνάει από το χέρι μας για να έχουμε τα καλύτερα αποτελέσματα στις τελικές εξετάσεις που πλησιάζουν. Να ευχηθώ σε όλους Καλό Πάσχα, Καλή Ανάσταση και η Ανάσταση του Κυρίου να αναστήσει τις ψυχές και τις καρδιές όλων μας. Με εκτίμηση, Dear parents, I am happy to have the opportunity to communicate again with you, through the institute s newspaper. I would like to thank you all for the collaboration and direct response any time we had to face any problems concerning your children. Note that a good cooperation between the school and the parents is necessary for the smooth operation of the educational system and most importantly necessary for the good of the students. I hope and wish that we continue as such until the end of the school year. It is a given that we are going to do all possible to help your children achieve the best results possible in the coming exams, however your help is required as well. Let me wish you all a Happy Easter. Regards, Demetra Aristodemou KES School of Languages Coordinator ήμητρα Αριστοδήμου Συντονίστρια KES School of Languages Snapshots of our students in classroom 2

3 Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (Κοινό Ευρωπαϊκό Πλαίσιο Αναφοράς για Γλώσσες) JHK από τη ήμητρα Αριστοδήμου, Συντονίστρια KES School of Languages Το Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR) είναι ένα πλαίσιο το οποίο χρησιμοποιείται για να περιγράψει τους βαθμούς επιτυχίας όσων μαθαίνουν ξένες γλώσσες στην Ευρώπη. Συντάχθηκε από το Ευρωπαϊκό Συμβούλιο και έχει ως κύριο σκοπό να δημιουργήσει μια κοινή μέθοδο εκμάθησης, διδασκαλίας και βαθμολογίας για όλη την Ευρώπη. Τα πιο κάτω επίπεδα έχουν γίνει γνωστά ως το Ευρωπαϊκό πρότυπο για να την ταξινόμηση της γνώσης και ικανότητας ενός ατόμου σε μια ξένη γλώσσα. ΕΞΕΤΑΣΕΙΣ CAMBRIDGE ESOL ΑΥΤΑΡΚΗΣ ΧΡΗΣΤΗΣ ΑΝΕΞΑΡΤΗΤΟΣ ΧΡΗΣΤΗΣ ΑΡΧΑΡΙΟΣ ΧΡΗΣΤΗΣ C2 C1 B2 B1 A2 A1 Οι εξετάσεις του Cambridge ESOL έχουν απήχηση και αναγνωρίζονται από τα σχολεία, τα πανεπιστήμια, τον ιδιωτικό και δημόσιο τομέα σε όλες τις αγγλόφωνες χώρες. Η επιτυχία σας στις εξετάσεις Cambridge ESOL σας εξασφαλίζει ένα διεθνώς αναγνωρισμένο πτυχίο που αντιπροσωπεύει το επίπεδο σας στην Αγγλική γλώσσα. ΕΞΕΤΑΣΕΙΣ YOUNG LEARNERS (Starters, Movers, Flyers) Οι εξετάσεις Αγγλικής γλώσσας Young Learners του πανεπιστημίου του Cambridge έχουν σχεδιαστεί ειδικά για παιδιά ηλικίας μεταξύ 7 και 12 ετών. Επίπεδα: Συνίστανται σε τρία βασικά επίπεδα αξιολόγησης: Starters Movers Flyers Για παιδιά από 7 ετών, μετά από 100 περίπου ώρες διδασκαλίας Αγγλικών. Συνήθως οι υποψήφιοι είναι μεταξύ 8 και 11 ετών και έχουν ολοκληρώσει 175 ώρες διδασκαλίας Αγγλικών. KET KAI PET FOR SCHOOLS (πρώτοι στόχοι για αρχάριους) Συνήθως οι υποψήφιοι είναι μεταξύ 9 και 12 ετών και έχουν ολοκληρώσει 250 ώρες διδασκαλίας Αγγλικών. Το επίπεδο των flyers είναι το αντίστοιχο του επιπέδου των εξετάσεων Key English Test (KET) του πανεπιστημίου του Cambridge. KEY ENGLISH TEST FOR SCHOOLS (KETfS) Η εξέταση Key English Test for Schools (KETfS) αντιστοιχεί στο επίπεδο Α2 του CEFR. Προσφέρει ένα βασικό τίτλο γλωσσομάθειας στην Αγγλική γλώσσα και είναι το πρώτο βήμα για το Cambridge Level Two, την εξέταση Preliminary English Test for Schools (PETfS) και τις λοιπές εξετάσεις του Cambridge ESOL. Το KETfS έχει σχεδιαστεί ειδικά για μαθητές σχολικής ηλικίας με αντίστοιχη θεματολογία, έτσι είναι ιδανική επιλογή για μαθητές αυτού του επίπεδου. PRELIMINARY ENGLISH TEST FOR SCHOOLS (PETfS) Η εξέταση Preliminary English Test for Schools (PETfS) αντιστοιχεί στο επίπεδο B1 του CEFR. Οι μαθητές αυτού του επιπέδου μπορούν να χρησιμοποιούν τα Αγγλικά σε καθημερινές καταστάσεις που απαιτούν αρκετά προβλέψιμη χρήση της γλώσσας στη χώρα τους ή το εξωτερικό, με φυσικούς ή μη ομιλητές της Αγγλικής γλώσσας. Το PETfS έχει σχεδιαστεί ειδικά για μαθητές σχολικής ηλικίας με αντίστοιχη θεματολογία, έτσι είναι ιδανική επιλογή για μαθητές αυτού του επίπεδου. FCE (η πορεία προς την άριστη γνώση) Η εξέταση για το First Certificate in English (FCE) είναι αυτή με τις περισσότερες συμμετοχές από όλες τις εξετάσεις του Cambridge ESOL. Αντιστοιχεί στο επίπεδο B2 του Κοινού Πλαισίου του Συμβουλίου της Ευρώπης για τις σύγχρονες γλώσσες. Οι μαθητές στο επίπεδο αυτό θεωρείται ότι είναι σε θέση να χειριστούν τις βασικές δομές της Αγγλικής γλώσσας με αρκετή σιγουριά, επιδεικνύοντας ευρεία γνώση λεξιλογίου και χρησιμοποιώντας τις κατάλληλες επικοινωνιακές δεξιότητες σε πολλές κοινωνικές περιστάσεις. 3

4 IGCSE (CIE International IGCSE O & A Level) Οι εξετάσεις αυτές ισοδυναμούν με τις απολυτήριες εξετάσεις του σχολείου ή τις εισαγωγικές εξετάσεις σε πανεπιστήμιο και διενεργούνται σε πολλά μαθήματα. Στη Βρετανία, τα A-levels αποτελούν τη βασική προϋπόθεση για εισαγωγή στην ανώτατη εκπαίδευση. Τα IGCSE ισοδυναμούν με τα επίπεδα C1 και C2 του CEFR ανάλογα με την βαθμολογία του μαθητή. Στο KES SCHOOL of LANGUAGES παίρνουμε σοβαρά τη σωστή εκπαίδευση των παιδιών σας υιοθετώντας το Κοινό Ευρωπαϊκό Πλαίσιο Αναφοράς για Γλώσσες (CEFR) και τις κατάλληλες εξετάσεις από το Cambridge έτσι ώστε τα παιδιά σας να έχουν τα απαραίτητα εφόδια για να μπορέσουν να διεκδικήσουν θέση σε Αγγλόφωνα Πανεπιστήμια ή να ανελιχτούν επαγγελματικά. Επίπεδο Cambridge Exam Επίπεδο CEFR Προτεινόμενες Ηλικίες Αντίστοιχη τάξη KES School of Languages 7-8 years old ES1 Starters A1 8-9 years old ES2 Movers A years old ES3 Flyers A years old SS1 KET A years old SS2 PET B years old SS3 B years old Pre-FCE FCE B years old FCE IGCSE C1-C years old IGCSE 4

5 The English version By Louisa Kakkoura (Teacher at KES School of Languages) Here, at KES School of Languages we encourage students to take the Cambridge Examinations. YLE: Young Learner s Exams, Starters, Movers, Flyers We encourage young learners to take the Starters, Movers and Flyers exams. It is a good step for them to start familiarizing with the process of exams. The YLE tests are carefully designed to be as enjoyable and stress-free as possible and are based on activities which will be familiar to most children. The tests aim to sample relevant and meaningful language use, measure ability accurately and fairly, and present a positive impression of international tests. KET: The Cambridge Key English Test Moving onwards, our students take the KET exam which is the first level of Cambridge exams in English for Speakers of Other Languages. It is an elementary level exam and it examines the ability to cope with everyday written and spoken communications at basic level. PET: The Cambridge Preliminary English Test One year later, they take the PET exam which is the second level of the Cambridge exams in English for Speakers of Other Languages. It is an intermediate level exam and it examines the ability to cope with everyday written and spoken communications. FCE: Cambridge First Certificate Test A step before the end is the FCE test which is the third level of the Cambridge exams in English for Speakers of Other Languages. It is an upper intermediate level exam and it examines the ability to deal confidently with a range of written and spoken communications. 5

6 My daily routine Hello! My name is Raisa and I am eleven years old. Every day I get up at half past six, I wash my face and get dressed. I often have breakfast and I go to school at quarter past seven but school starts at quarter to eight. School finishes at one o clock. I leave for home at quarter past one. I have lunch and do my homework. In the afternoon I play computer games, watch TV and play with my sisters. At seven o clock I have dinner. On Monday and Thursday I have an English lesson. I go to bed at half past eleven. Before I go to bed I brush my teeth, have a shower and go to bed. My dog I have got a dog. His name is Rex and he is one year old. Rex is grey and white with black eyes. He is a very friendly dog. Every day, I take Rex for a walk. We go to zoo park. I put some dog food in his bowl. Also he drinks water and milk. At night, Rex sleeps in his kennel. I love Rex. Maria Grammatikopoulou Class: ES3 Dear Thekla, Raisa Paraskevidi Class: ES3 An exciting game Thanks for your last letter. I m writing to tell you about an exciting football game. My school went to play football against other school teams. I couldn't play because I broke my leg so I sat with my classmates. My school played against Faneromeni school. It was very interesting. The players of my school s team ran and had a corner. All the players of my school team were very happy because George scored a goal and my school won one point. The Faneromeni school was angry. They had control of the ball but they couldn t score a goal. When I grow up I will live When I grow up I will live in a villa which will have a big garden. Outside of the villa I will have a big football court. Next to the house there will be a swimming pool and a big garden with colourful flowers. In the villa there will be many colourful bedrooms and a big living room for my guests, for my friends and family. Moreover I will have a dining room. Also I will have a balcony, a big white kitchen and three big bathrooms: one downstairs, one upstairs and one in the garden. If I have this house one day I will invite my friends and have a great time. In the end my school team won 1-0. I was very happy that my school won. I had a great time. Please write and tell me about an exciting game you went to. Love, Christina Christina Maximidou Class: SS1 Charitonisvili Nino Class: SS1 6

7 Dear Chris, My Family Thank you for your letter. I m writing to tell you about my family. I come from a small family, there are three people. I haven t got a brother or sister. My father works in the security, and my mother works in the café. I have got a pet cat. Its name is Max. My grandparents live in Kaimakli. I see my grandparents every day. I have got 22 cousins. I see my four cousins every day. All the best, Andreas Andreas Georgiou Class: ES3 Life in the Past This report is about life in Greece in At home People in those days had electricity but they didn t have a fridge or a washing machine or central heating in the winter they were heated by open fires. Some of them, mainly rich people had a black and white TV. They didn t have a telephone in their homes so if they wanted to communicate with someone they had to sent him a letter. Transport Cars were used by rich people and poor people had horses or donkeys to travel if they didn t afford to buy something, they had no choice but to go on foot. Entertainment Most people in those days didn t have much free time as they worked long hours both inside and outside the house. In their free time men, usually used to go to traditional cafés and play games like cards or traditional Greek games. Women stayed at home with the children and took care of them or cooked, cleaned and sow. Artemis Krimpa Class: SS2 Is it better to grow up in the country? Many people believe it is better to grow up in the country, but others disagree. Growing up in the country has got many advantages. Firstly, the air is clean and you breathe fresh air every time. Secondly, there isn t any crime. In addition, it s easy to get to know people and people in the country care about their neighbors. On the other hand, life in the country has got many disadvantages too. Life is more traditional and there aren t a lot of facilities. Life in the country can be hard, especially in the winter. In addition, life in the country can be boring because you haven t got anything to do in the evenings like cinemas, cafés and theatres. Finally, it isn t better to grow up in the country, because the life is hard and there aren t a lot of facilities. In my opinion life in the country is great, because it is more peaceful. Andreas Georgiou Class: ES3 Hi Anna, I hope you can help me with a problem. Sophie is a girl who I can t stand and she gas invited me and Nastia to a party. I feel helpless and don t know what to do. Should I find an excuse not to go or should I go anyway and pretend to have a good time. Let me know what you think as soon as possible. I m counting on you. Take care Helen Hi Helen, I ve thought about your problem quite a lot and I ve come up with the following solution. If I were you I d speak to Nastia and tell her about the party and if she is a real friend. She will understand. You can tell Nastia to go somewhere else treat her dinner and have fun. There s no need to panic. With love, Anna Helen Xenofontos Class: SS2 7

8 Dear Helen, I m writing to invite you to a concert of UR- BAN HAWKS. Would you like to come? The concert will take place at Madison Arena, on 22 nd -23 rd 24 th April. The price of the ticket is 35. The supporting acts are Miss bla bla and full blast. They are great! We can buy the tickets at Madison Arena s box office or online at madisonarena.com. I think it will be a good idea to meet at my house and my mum can take us to the concert. Do you agree? I hope you can make it. If you decide to go let me know please. Love, Isavel Isavel Kampos Class: SS2 Dear Mr Trenton, I saw the announcement on the notice board of my school about the caving adventure and I want to join the Geology Club on its caving trip. My name is Costas Miguel and I m twelve years old. I have never been on a trip into the caves, but that s why I want to join the club. I think it will be very interesting. I would like some extra information about the trip to the caves. Firstly I would like to know how much it cost. Another thing I would like to know if lunch is provided. Finally could you tell me if I have to carry any special equipment with me. Looking forward to your reply. Yours sincerely, Costas Miguel Costas Miguel Class: SS3 Valentine s Day Valentine s Day is an annual celebration. It falls on the 14 th February at the end of winter. It is celebrated all over the world. On that day people celebrate love. During the day, people buy cakes in heart shapes. Also they buy flowers, choco- lates and teddy bears. The boys give their girlfriends flowers, chocolates and cakes in heart shapes, to express their love. They go to romantic dinners or at the cinema to see a romantic movie or they go at the park for a walk. Valentine s Day is a special celebration because it s the only day that people from all over the world express their love. Athena Marcou Class: SS2 The day it snowed Yesterday morning I woke up early and looked out of my bedroom window. I saw snow everywhere. I felt very very happy. I got dressed quickly and ran downstairs. My mother said I could go out and make a snowman. So, I put on my warm winter clothes, gloves and scurf and ran outside. When I finished my snowman my hands were freezing but the snowman looked great. Suddenly something hit my back. It was a snowball. I turned around and saw my best friend Yiannos laughing. Quickly threw some snow back at him and that was the beginning of snowball fight. George Antoniou Class: SS1 My country My country s name is Cyprus. The capital city is Nicosia. It s in the Mediterranean Sea. Cyprus has lots of things to do. One of this is our beaches. I love our beaches because in the summer a lot of people come especially for them. There are restaurants to eat when you finish tour swim too. You can choose Sandy beaches or rocky seaside. In Cyprus, we have a Mediterranean climate. They mean in summer we have hot and sunny days and in winter we have cold days. The snow falls only in the mountains of Troodos and every year people visit the mountains to play with the snow. We also have traditional food like haloumi. It s kind of cheese which is usually delicious. It s famous but not popular. Alexandros Sotiriou Class: SS1 8

9 Dear George, Thanks for your letter. I am glad to hear from you after so much time. Here are some advices on how to improve your eating habits and get fit. To begin with, it would be a good idea for you to try not to eat so much junk food and sweets, so your body won t store so much sugar and fat. Furthermore, I think you should eat plenty of fish, fruit and vegetables and start to follow a balanced diet. Have you ever thought of joining a gym? You can exercise regularly and that way you will feel fitter and in shape. If I were you I wouldn t go somewhere by bus or car but on foot, so my body remains fit and does not become lazy. I hope my advice helps and things get better. Let me know what happens. Simonian Elizabeth Class: ES3 Yours, Despina Despina Chacholiadou Class: FCE Wedding Anniversary Every wedding anniversary is very special to a married couple. My grandparents, granddad Kyriakos and grand mum Chara got married in January This year they were celebrating their gold wedding anniversary, 50 years from their wedding day. My mum organized a surprise party in order to celebrate this special occasion. She called her three brothers and they all agreed to arrange a dinner in a fancy restaurant. My grandparents shouldn t understand that the party was held for them so my mum told them that we were going out to celebrate my birthday which is in January as well. Uncle Harris ordered a big chocolate cake decorated with sugar copy of their original wedding picture. Uncle Peter arranged for a balloon decoration with the message Happy 50 th wedding anniversary. My mum ordered flowers, a big bouquet of pink roses, my grand mum s favourites. A day before the event, my mum and I visited the restaurants in order to set the menu. The big day arrived and all the ladies of the family went to the hairdresser in order to look fabulous at my birthday party as my grand mum was told. At 8:30 in the evening, we arrived at the restaurant together with my grandparents. My three uncles together with their families were waiting for us and as soon as we entered they shouted Happy Anniversary. My grandparents were stunned and did not know how to react. When they realized the surprise they were both moved and very happy for the event! After a delicious dinner and a lovely cake the Dj played their favourite song, back from the 60s and my grandparents dedicated this dance to their children and grandchildren. Hara Eftychiou Class: FCE 9

10 On Tuesday, I always have milk and cereal for breakfast. For lunch, I always have soup. For dinner, I always have apples. On Sunday, I always have milk and cereal for breakfast. For lunch I always have chicken and rice. For dinner I always have yoghurt. Alex Popovides Class: ES2 The ball is under the table The chair is on the table The book is in the wardrobe The wardrobe is on the table The computer is on the wardrobe Maria Xenophontos Chris Christoforides Class: ES2 Radina Raykova Class: ES2 10

11 Nicol Stylianou Marcos Steliou George Lazarides 11

12 Theophanis Stylianou I ve got three bedrooms I ve got one kitchen I ve got two bathrooms I ve got a living room I ve got a dining room Maria Xenophontos Stylianou Nicole George Lazarides 12

13 Chouloudis Nefeli It has got five eyes It has got two mouths It has got three hands It has got two feet Theophanis Stylianou It has got two mouths It has got three eyes It has got one nose It has got two big ears Maria Xenophontos 13

14 Chouloudis Nefeli My daily routine Hello! My name is Christina and I am eleven years old. In the morning I get up at six o clock, brush my teeth, wash my face and get dressed. At quarter past seven I have breakfast. I have a glass of milk and some biscuits. I leave for school at twenty past seven. School starts at quarter past eight. School Antoniou Christina finishes at five past Class: ES3 one and I usually have lunch at half past one. In the afternoon I do my homework and after that I watch TV or play computer games. Every Monday and Thursday afternoon I have an English lesson and every Tuesday and Friday afternoon I have a piano lesson. In the evening I always have a shower before I go to bed. I usually go to bed at ten o clock. 14

15 On Easter weekend, those of the Christian faith celebrate the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, the observation of Easter did not originate with Christianity. Read on to learn about the true origin of the holiday. Easter was taken from Eastre. She was the goddess worshipped by the Saxon peoples of Northern Europe. They held festivals every year to celebrate the Spring Equinox - the one time during the spring when the day and the night are of equal length. The festivals were believed to ensure the fertility of both the land and its people. In ancient times, those of the Jewish faith celebrated Passover around this same time of the year. The Passover feast commemorated the Israelite captivity in Egypt under the cruel hand of the pharaoh. The last plague that God sent on the land was that of the death of every firstborn. Blood on the doorposts of Israelite households spared them as the Angel of Death spread through the land. Christians decided to celebrate what we now know as Easter at this time also. Early followers were persecuted even after Jesus crucifixion. As a result, they held their religious observances to coincide with the pagan holidays. They called their remembrance, Easter - a derivative of Eastre. The idea behind the two occasions is different, but they share common symbols and traditions that people still use today. The Easter egg: The use of eggs in celebration existed long before our modern day observance. Eggs were given and received as symbols of rebirth. Today, eggs are decorated on Easter and hidden for children to find. The Cross: The symbol of the cross has been associated with Christianity and Easter since the first centuries after Jesus death. The cross was a symbol of cruelty throughout the Roman Empire. Today, those who practice Christianity view it as a badge of courage and salvation. The Easter bunny: The rabbit was the symbol of Eastre, the Saxon goddess. The idea of the rabbit as a part of Christian tradition was introduced in colonial days by the Germans. Children are taught that the Easter Bunny brings treats on the night before Easter, much like Santa Claus during Christmas. Lily: Often called the "white robed apostles of hope", lilies have been recognized throughout art and literature as an image of beauty, resurrection and hope. It is believed that beautiful lilies sprouted from the drops of Christ's sweat in his final hours. The pure white lily is also associated with the Virgin Mary. 15

16 How to Dye Easter Eggs Naturally by Blake Royer (01/04/2010) The idea here is to treat the eggs just like you do in the dyeing kits: boil them ahead of time all at once, then dip each egg in a colorful dye to decorate it. For red dye: Take 1 to 2 beets (about 3/4 pound) and roughly chop it. Combine it with 1 quart water, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1 tablespoon salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid for dyeing. For yellow dye: Heat 1 quart water, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1 tablespoon salt in a saucepan. Add 6 tablespoon ground turmeric and stir well. Simmer for just a few minutes until the turmeric dissolves. For blue dye: Take 1 large red cabbage (about 1 pound) and shred it. Combine in a saucepan with 1 quart water, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid for dyeing. To dye the eggs: Simply soak them in the liquids until they are the desired colors. At first, the colors will be quite pale, though beautiful. They don't work equally well: the red dye sets very quickly, and the turmeric isn't far behind. But after a minute or two in the blue dye, the egg had hardly changed at all. To achieve a truly rich blue, the egg needs to soak for a few hours. Knowing I had all three primary colors, I did a little experimenting with using two dyes on the same egg: yellow and blue to make green, red and yellow to make orange. It wasn't entirely successful, though I did come up with a nice subtle green and a slightly brownish orange. Onion Skin Eggs Unlike traditional egg-dyeing, these eggs are not pre-boiled before coloring. Rather, the cooking and dyeing process happens all at once. You'll need the skins of at least 8 to 10 onions for every dozen eggs. (The onions themselves should then be used sooner than later.) In addition to the onion skins, which will color the eggs nicely by themselves, you can also collect leaves, flower petals, leafy herbs, uncooked rice, etc. to leave impressions against the outside of the eggs. You'll also need cloth to wrap the eggs with: for a couple dozen eggs, say a yard or two of inexpensive muslin or other white fabric. Cut it into large squares and build your egg on top. To tie the eggs, lightly colored yarn or kitchen twine works well. Make sure to wrap yours up distinctively so that it will be easily recognizable once they all head into the pot. 16

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18 Each row, each column and each of the large 4 squares should have one of each image. Fill in the blanks! S P R I N G 18

19 Banana Cream Pie Sweet graham cracker crust piled with layers of vanilla pudding, sliced bananas, and whipped cream -- the very sight of one of these homemade pies can tickle a kid's taste buds. Plus, making one is practically a rite of passage for young pie chefs. The only challenging part can be waiting for the pudding filling to chill (it takes a few hours) so that you can pile on the bananas and whipped cream and dig in. GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST 1 3/4 cups fine graham cracker crumbs 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Big pinch of salt 6 tablespoons melted butter 1 teaspoon water Ingredients: WHIPPED CREAM AND GARNISH 11/4 cups very cold heavy cream VANILLA PUDDING FILLING 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/8 teaspoon salt 3 cups milk or half and half 3 egg yolks 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces 2 teaspoons vanilla extract To Prepare the Piecrust: Heat the oven to 325º. Lightly butter a deep 9- or 10-inch pie pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, and salt and mix the ingredients briefly with your fingers. Stir in the melted butter and water with a fork. Then use your fingers to rub together the mixture until the crumbs are uniformly moistened. Empty the crumbs into the prepared pie pan. Press them evenly into the bottom and about three quarters of the way up the sides of the pan. Bake the piecrust on the center oven rack for 8 minutes, then cool it in the pan on a rack while you make the filling. To Cook the Pudding Filling: Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a nonstick medium-size saucepan and whisk them until evenly blended. Then whisk in the milk and the egg yolks. Heat the pudding over medium heat, stirring continuously until it thickens and bubbles, about 5 minutes. Continue cooking the mixture for 1 minute more, whisking all the while to keep it from boiling. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter one piece at a time. Add the vanilla extract and whisk several more times. Immediately pour the filling into the piecrust, spreading and smoothing it with a wooden spoon. Gently press a piece of plastic wrap against the filling to keep a skin from forming. Put the pie on a cooling rack and cool to room temperature. Then chill it for at least 6 hours, or overnight. To make the Whipped Cream: Ten minutes before you're ready to assemble the pie, chill a mixing bowl and the beaters you'll use to make the whipped cream. Beat the heavy cream in the cold bowl until soft peaks form. Add the confectioners' sugar and continue to beat the whipped cream with a whisk until it is stiff but still smooth. Avoid overbeating it, or the cream will separate, much as it does when you churn butter. Remove the plastic covering from the pie and use a rubber spatula to spread a thin layer of whipped cream over the pudding. Using a butter knife, quarter the bananas lengthwise, then cut them crosswise into small chunks, letting them fall over the pie in a single layer. Mound the remaining whipped cream on top of the sliced bananas. Then garnish with shaved chocolate, if you like, and refrigerate the pie until serving time. 19

20 On the 22nd December 2011 we had a Christmas Party at KES SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES where students presented role plays and Christmas songs. Santa Claus gave gifts to all children and wished them Happy Christmas Holidays! 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. 20