Today is St. Andrew's Day!

St. Andrew, the Patron Saint of Scotland

Saint Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland, and St. Andrew's Day is celebrated by Scots around the world on the 30th November. The flag of Scotland is the Cross of St. Andrew, and this is widely displayed as a symbol of national identity. Very little is really known about St. Andrew himself. He was thought to have been a fisherman in Galilee (now part of Israel), along with his elder brother Simon Peter (Saint Peter). Both became followers (apostles) of Jesus Christ, founder of the Christian religion. Tradition suggests that St. Andrew was put to death by the Romans in Patras, Southern Greece by being pinned to a cross (crucified). The diagonal shape of this cross is said to be the basis for the Cross of St. Andrew which appears on the Scottish Flag.

The story of St. Andrew

TODAY is BUY NOTHING DAY!

  Eleventh form students have been challenged to call people's attention to  consumerism and  to inform them about the aims of Buy Nothing Day.

 Their creativity and commitment are evident in the videos they´ve made. 

 Some of them are here below, but there are many more you may watch, if you just click on the link of the page under the name-  students' videos about Buy Nothing Day 2010- which is on the right side of this page.

made by Barbara, Catarina and Mafalda (11th A)

   Made by Raquel Barrigana and André (11th K)

Made by João Cardoso and João Paulo(11th B)

What's Buy Nothing Day?

Lock up your wallets and purses, Saturday November 27th 2010 is Buy Nothing Day (UK). It's a day where you challenge yourself, your family and friends to switch off from shopping and tune into life. The rules are simple, for 24 hours you will detox from shopping and anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending!

Everything we buy has an impact on the environment, Buy Nothing Day highlights the environmental and ethical consequences of consumerism. The developed countries - only 20% of the world population are consuming over 80% of the earth's natural resources, causing a disproportionate level of environmental damage, and an unfair distribution of wealth.

As consumers we need to question the products we buy and challenge the companies who produce them. What are the true risks to the environment and developing countries? We all know recycling is OK for the environment, but consuming less is better    and Buy Nothing Day is a great way to start.

Participate by not participating!
Of course, Buy Nothing Day isn't about changing your lifestyle for just one day - we want it to be a lasting relationship with you consumer conscience - maybe a life changing experience? We want people to make a commitment to consuming less, recycling more and challenging companies to clean up and be fair. The supermarket or shopping mall might offer great choice, but this shouldn't be at the cost of the environment or developing countries.

Today is Thanksgiving Day!

Tomorrow watch Thanksgiving Day Parade live online

Tomorrow- Thanksgiving Day - you can watch the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Parade online live from the streets of New York. The Earthcam website provides a view of the Parade. Visit http://www.earthcam.com/

In the meanwhile, have a look at some moments of last year's parade:

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day

Here am I

With such a need to thank

But, what to thank for?

The sweet rain

The blowing wind

The solid Earth

The blazing Sun

I thank you all.

I thank the farmers

The animals

The great harvest

And God.

I give thanks to all the helpers

To the corn

The pumpkins

And carrots.

I thank the feast on my table

The family around me

The life I have

The turkey I am eating.

Here am I

On Thanksgiving Day.

                                                                         Bárbara Nanim

                                                                           12ºJ

The only one who can find no reasons to thank for ...

Thanksgiving thoughts

When you sit down with your loved ones for your Thanksgiving dinner, be thankful for everyone and everything that makes it possible. Look your family and friends in the eye and express to them your gratitude for sharing this wonderful time together.
Thanksgiving is a very special holiday. Embrace those around you and your ability to give thanks to those you love.

Barton Goldsmith

How To Cook Turkey For Thanksgiving & Christmas That Is Always Moist & Juicy...

We don't have Thanksgiving roast turkey in Portugal, but we do have Christmas turkey. Portuguese moms always complain about the meat - either too dry or too juicy. Would you (or your moms) like to surprise your guests this coming Christmas and cook a wonderfully crispy, roast, golden turkey? Then watch this video, learn, practise and enjoy!

Thanksgiving Parade

Just check out this Thanksgiving Parade!
This one shows the Pilgrims, the turkey...but you can watch the other videos on YouTube and be delighted with floating characters, musicals and much more!

Thanksgiving Day

Turkey Dinner Dance

"Freedom from Want" by Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) is one of the most important American painters and illustraters. He became famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios that he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine over more than four decades. Among the best-known of Rockwell's works are the Four Freedom Series which include this Thanksgiving portrait.

Thanksgiving Recipes

Marshmallows Pilgrims Hats
Ingredients
• 24 chocolate-striped shortbread cookies
• 12-ounce package of chocolate chips
• 24 marshmallows
• tube of yellow decorators' frosting



Instructions
1. Set the chocolate-striped cookies stripes down on a wax-paper-covered tray, spacing them well apart.
2. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave or double boiler.
3. One at a time, stick a wooden toothpick into a marshmallow, dip the marshmallow into the melted chocolate, and promptly center it atop a cookie.
4. Using a second toothpick to lightly hold down the marshmallow, carefully pull out the first toothpick.
5. Chill the hats until the chocolate sets, then pipe a yellow decorators' frosting buckle on the front of each hat


Gobble me up



Ingredients
• Apple
• Clementine or navel orange
• Pear
• Dried apricot
• Peanut butter or cream cheese
• Mini chocolate chips
• Nut (we used a cashew)
• Dried cranberry




Instructions
1. Arrange apple and clementine or navel orange slices on a plate as shown, and lay a cored pear half on top.
2. Use scissors to halve a dried apricot, then snip small triangles from each half and tuck them under the pear to form the feet.
3. Finally, use peanut butter or softened cream cheese to attach mini chocolate chip eyes, a nut beak, and a dried cranberry snood.

Research done by Elisabete Carvalho in http://familyfun.go.com/thanksgiving/18-classic-thanksgiving-desserts

One week before Thanksgiving - America prepares for the big Festivity!

Thanksgiving is one of the most important national holidays in the United States. It is celebrated each year on the fourth Thursday in November. On this day, families gather together, and many people say prayers of thanks for the year’s blessings. In many homes, a big dinner of roast turkey and dressing is served. Thanksgiving is traditionally a harvest festival. Similar festivals are celebrated in many parts of the world to give thanks after the year’s crops have been safely harvested.

Watch History of Thanksgiving — History.com Video
and learn about the historical origins of Thanksgiving

My first everything in the USA

I have been an "Alien" in Savannah, state of Georgia, for three months and half now. Around here weekends are to relax, socialize and spend money.
In October the city spruced up for the fall and with it pumpkins and scarecrows. Halloween was crazy: candies, costumes, parties...

 

November is time for Thanksgiving (Thursday) and Black Friday.

For Thanksgiving, Americans travel to meet their loved ones. The majority of them do not return for Christmas. They say it is family time...

In stores, books for children speak about the Pilgrims that were starving and the Indians who helped them learning how to survive in a new land. But in the 21st century what are they giving thanks for?

The newspapers of the weekend before Black Friday advertise 50% or more off in all products. It’s the bargain of the year!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At dawn of the next day family values are replaced by consumers. Black Friday begins, they go shopping until they drop.

Elisabete Carvalho, a Portuguese living in the USA
Nov. 9, 2010

The History Of The World

Once a teacher, always a teacher

Learn and have fun with The Teacher!

International day against ...

9th November
International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism

After the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, Jews were subjected to increasingly discriminatory treatment accompanied by organised violence. On November 9th 1938, the Nazis started a program against the Jews.

Synagogues were set on fire.

Jewish shops had their windows smashed across the country, which gave rise to the name "Kristallnacht", which freely translated means the Night of Broken Glass. Many Jews were physically attacked too. The "Kristallnacht" is usually seen as the symbolic beginning of the Holocaust.

9th November, 1989 - Germany Berlin Wall Opens Up

East Germany opened its borders today, allowing its citizens to freely cross into the West for the first time since the Berlin Wall was built in 1961. Some Germans used hammers to chip away at the Berlin Wall for keepsakes or in their own small way try to destroy the infamous symbol of East-West division.

9th November

Today is the day for YOU to make the world a better place!

With my own two hands

Martin Luther King, Jr. - " I have a dream"

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. "

"I have a dream today!"

I HAVE A DREAM

Martin Luther King

in nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/.../King-bio.html

A DREAM come true ... Waka Waka by Shakira

Bonfire Fireworks

On the 5th of November bonfires and fireworks go hand in hand for many people when they think of traditional Guy Fawkes celebrations.
The class 8º E wrote some poems about this festivity having as a start point the acrostic FIREWORKS. Read their poems at school!

5th of November

Remember, Remember the 5th of November

5th of November - Today Maia Secondary School saw not one, not two, but three Guy Fawkes "burning on a bonfire" for having tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament!!!

Guy Fawkes and Bonfire Night

Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot

Guy Fawkes Nursery Rhyme

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I see no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli'ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;
By God's providence he was catch'd (or by God's mercy*)
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holla boys, Holla boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
And what should we do with him? Burn him!


If you want to learn more about this English festivity click on the following video and you will watch a BBC documentary on this historical moment.

Play the game to find out what you have learnt! You must be fast!