Hi, dear pen pals!!
We are going to tell you a little bit about ourselves. The similarities and the differences
¡¡Hola, queridos amigos por correspondencia!!!
Vamos a contaros un poco sobre nosotros mismos. Las similaridades y las diferencias.
Maybe at the end of your lesson you will be able to tell each other about the similarities and the differences between our two ways of life in England and Spain.
VACACIONES/ SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.
We have finished school for the year! Our summer holidays started on 23rd June and will finish on 10th September. We don't get any half term breaks in October or February. We have 15 days off at Christmas and 7 days at Easter (our Holy Week).
Our summer holiday is 11 weeks and 2 days long.
Questions: How long are your summer holidays in England?
Do you have half term breaks?
¡¡Ya hemos acabado!! Nuestras vacaciones de verano empiezan el 23 de junio y acaban el 10de septiembre. No tenemos vacaciones en mitad del trimestre. Tenemos 15 días devacaciones en Navidad y 7 días en Pascua (nuestra Semana Santa).
La temperatura /The temperature
It´s very hot in Seville (last week it was 40º C). In our school some of the classrooms have air conditioning but others only have fans. The English classroom is downstairs. It's a very big room so with the fan it is not too hot especially if we close the shutters outside.
Hace mucho calor en Sevilla (hoy 40º C ) En esta escuela algunas clases tienen aire
acondicionado y algunas tienen ventilador. La clase de Inglés está en la planta de abajo, es muy
grande, así que no hace demasiado calor si cerramos las persianas.
Question: How hot is it in England usually at this time of year?
Question: Why do you think we break up for summer holidays earlier than you break up in England?
You can see the shutters and the fan here.
BREAK -PLAYTIME / El RECREO
Our break / playtime is from 12.00 to 12:30 and the children play and run all the time. In this heat, they drink a lot of water.
They bring a sandwich and a juice to have at playtime. The local authority sometimes give them
fruit or vegetables to eat in their break to encourage healthy eating habits. This year
the children have had oranges, satsumas, pears, apples, strawberries, melons, watermelons, cherry
tomatoes, small cucumbers, small carrots, all grown in Andalusia, our region. The children eat at break because they usually only have a small breakfast, for example a bowl of cereal and milk or toast and milk at about 8:15.
Question: How long is your break / playtime and when is it?
Question: do you have a sandwich and a drink in your playtime? What are you allowed to eat?
El recreo es desde las 12 a las 12:30 y los niños juegan y corren mucho. Con este calor, beben
mucha agua.
Traen un bocadillo y un zumo para comer en el recreo, porque desayunan poco, un cuenco de
cereales con leche o una tostada con leche. La Junta a veces les da fruta o verdura para
comer en esta media hora para animar a estos alumnos a tener hábitos saludables; este año han
tomado naranjas, mandarinas, peras, manzanas, fresas, melones, sandías tomates cherry, pepinos
pequeños, zanahorias pequeñas, todo de Andalucía.
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| Andalusian fruit. Fruta de Andalucía |
AFTER SCHOOL.
We finish school at 2 pm. and only 20% of the children stay to have lunch in the canteen at school.
Most of the pupils go home to have lunch with their parents. It is the largest meal of the day: a three-
course meal (for example, first course: lentils, chickpeas, pasta or gazpacho; second course: meat
or fish and fruit for dessert). Parents try to eat at home as it is cheaper and the quality of the food is
better.
After that, the parents have a siesta (1 or 2 hours) while the children do their homework or watch
TV/ use computers. In the afternoon, our school provides English classes, roller skating, revision, rhythmic gymnastics or zumba classes for the children to participate in, but they are not very popular as the children prefer to stay at home or to go to football training!!
QUESTION: What time does your school day end?
QUESTIONS: We are in school from 9.00a.m until 2.00p.m. with a half an hour break. Our school day is 5 hours long with 4.5 hours of teaching. How long is your school day?
QUESTION: which school day do you prefer - the Spanish or the English one? Why??
QUESTION: How long does your lunch last on school days? Do you have lunch in school?
QUESTION: How many children go home for lunch at St Bede?
QUESTION: Do you have a siesta?
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| Mmmmm! Gazpacho! THIS IS A COLD SOUP. Do you have cold soup in England? Why not?? |
DESPUÉS DEL COLEGIO
Acabamos el colegio a las 2 pm y solo el 20% de los niños se quedan a almorzar en el comedor del colegio. La mayoría de los alumnos almuerzan en casa, con sus padres. Es la comida más grande,de tres platos ( por ejemplo, de primero: lentejas, garbanzos, pasta o gazpacho; de segundo:carne o pescado y fruta de postre). Los padres intentan almorzar en casa, es más barato y la calidad es mejor.
Después, sus padres duermen la siesta (1 o 2 horas) mientras los niños hacen los deberes o ven latelevisión o están el ordenador. Por la tarde nuestro colegio ofrece clases de Inglés, patinaje, refuerzo, gimnasia rítmica o de zumba, pero no son muy populares.
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| Merienda / Snack time and Tea time /la cena |
Later in the afternoon/early evening we have a "merienda", which is a sandwich or some biscuits with a glass of chocolate milk. We usually have our 'merienda' at 6:30 or 7.00pm every day. Most children go out to meet friends in the street and play there, in squares or parks and at 8:30 pm they usually go home to have a shower, put their pyjamas on and have dinner (tea) at 9:30p.m or 10.00 pm , when the families get together again around the table.
Having a "merienda" in the afternoon means the children can have their dinner (tea) that late because many parents work until 8:00 pm. (remember the parents have a long lunch break so they have to work later in the day) A Spanish dinner (tea) is a small meal. It could be Spanish omelette and fried fish, fruit or yoghurt. They do not have a large meal as they have already had a three course lunch and they will be going to bed soon. Our pupils (Y5 and Y6 )usually go to bed around 10:30.
Questions: Would you like to have your tea so late?
Is your lunch or your tea the biggest meal of the day?
What time do you have your tea?
Después de tomar la merienda, que consiste en un bocadillo o unas galletas con un vaso de leche
con chocolate, a las 6:30 o 7 pm ,la mayoría de nuestros niños salen para reunirse con amigos y
jugar en la calle, en plazas o en los parques y a las 8.30 pm normalmente se van a casa a
ducharse, ponerse el pijama y cenar a las 9:30 o 10,cuando las familias se reúnen otra vez
alrededor de la mesa. Al tomar la merienda, los niños pueden cenar tan tarde, porque muchos
padres trabajan hasta las 8:00 pm.
Una cena española puede ser: tortilla española y pescado frito, fruta o yogur, sin grandes
cantidades, se van a la cama pronto. Nuestros alumnos de Quinto y Sexto se van a la cama
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| An Andalusian dinner. Una cena andaluza. |
Most of our pupils- about 80% of them- said they wouldn’t like to wear a school uniform as you have to do in English schools. However, the children know it is sometimes difficult to decide what to wear in the morning.
They think their casual clothes are more comfortable than a school uniform especially when it is hot. Last year the children in Y5 said they wanted to wear a uniform but now they are in Y6 they have changed their minds. In our school children can wear whatever they like except for the trainers with built-in wheels as they are too dangerous. On the days when they have PE, they must wear tracksuits and trainers - that is the only rule.
Teachers can wear whatever they like, jeans,shorts, skirts , it is up to them.
QUESTION: Which would you prefer to wear? Your own clothes every day or your school uniform?
QUESTION: Why have you made that choice?
QUESTION: Can English teachers wear jeans to school?
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| June ,Y6. |
ROPA
A la mayoría de nuestros alumnos no les gustaría llevar uniforme escolar (sobre el 80%) pero
Saben que a veces es difícil decidir qué llevar por la mañana. Creen que su ropa informal es más
cómoda que un uniforme. Quinto, el año pasado querían llevar uniforme, pero han cambiado de
opinión. En nuestro colegio todo está permitido salvo los deportivos con ruedas, que son peligrosos.
Los profesores puede vestirse como quieran, con vaqueros,pantalones cortos, faldas,...
Los alumnos se dirigen a los profesores de tú, por sus nombres de pila, incluso al director.
NOMBRES/ NAMES
In Spain school children call their teachers and even their headteacher by their first name.
QUESTION: Why do you think it is a rule for UK schoolchildren to call their teacher by their surname /family name e.g Mr Hatch, Mrs Roberts, Mrs Whittaker etc etc?
Las Tiendas/ The Shops
The small shops close from 2.00pm to 5.00 pm. The owners go home to have lunch and to sleep their
siesta,and reopen from 5 to 8:30 pm. The malls or department stores stay open from 10 am to 10 pm.
Las tiendas pequeñas cierran desde las 2pm hasta las 5 pm.Los dueños se van a casa a comer y a
dormir la siesta y vuelven a abrir de 5 a 8:30.Los centros comerciales o grandes almacenes abren de
10 am a 10 pm.
Well, it is very difficult to write about people in general, because the families are not the same but I think you know a little bit more about us.
Es muy difícil escribir sobre la gente en general, porque las familias no son iguales pero creo que
sabéis un poco más sobre nosotros.
HAVE A NICE SUMMER. SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER!!!!!
QUE TENGÁIS UN BUEN VERANO.¡¡¡¡¡ NOS VEMOS EN SEPTIEMBRE !!!!!
