Around the World In 80 Days

Aouda and Phileas Fogg

     Last week our pals in Zafra, Spain celebrated Carnival by dressing up as characters from the Jules Verne novel, Around the World in 80 Days.
     The boys dressed up as Phileas Fogg, the rich Englishman who saves Aouda, the Indian Princess, during his adventure around the world. Naturally, the girls dressed up as Auoda the princess he rescues.

There are the two classes of students from Germán Cid in Zafra, writing to their pals in Houston, Texas:

R. Aguilar

Carnival in Burguillos

     This year the topic for Carnival at the Colegio de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Bruguillos del Cerro, was The Farm. For this reason each course wears an animal disguise, except for the oldest ones, which are the farmers.
 
 It is typical at carnival to do a parade in the streets of the village. Children, teachers and parents walk and dance together. Later, we go to the culture's house to sing carnival songs with original letters related to the situations nowadays, in the school or society in a "critical" yet funny way!


Alejandra Guerrero; Burguillos


     
    

 Carnival is the time before the Christian time of Lent, full of celebrations. Different celebrations in many parts the world are very common with parades and costumes being a major part of the festivities. 
     In Texas we have the celebration of Mardi Gras (also Carnival, but with a different name) celebrated in the island of Galveston, close to Houston. 
     Carnival ("removal of meat") and Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) in historical terms, was and is the last time to eat meat and therefore getting ready for Lent. Both celebrations begin after Epiphany and culminate on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of Lent in the Christian religion.

WHOLE FOODS MARKET

  
 "Thanks for thinking of taking Whole Foods Market on your journey! We would love to help support your environmental efforts this spring." 
*Message from Whole Foods Market at Bellaire.




       As part of our project's environmental and ecology portion, I partnered with Whole Foods Market at Bellaire and near our school, to assist us in our endeavors in Spain.

        Founded in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market has been synonymous with organic and natural foods and supporter of local and national food products. Whole Foods expanded first to Houston in their beginnings. It now operates close to 400 stores in the US, Canada and United Kingdom, and plans on expanding to more, are in their future.
       Last year, during my stay in London, I was fortunate to stay near the Whole Foods Market on High Street, Kensington where I shopped at the store on several occasions during my stay. It was such a great welcome to have a part of home in the UK.

       Whole Foods Market is also actively involved in environmental and sustainability projects as well as reducing carbon emissions for a better, cleaner and healthier earth.

What better way to compliment Whole Food's environmental stewardship efforts, than to take them with us on our project!

      Thank you Andrew and Rachel, and Whole Foods Market!

                                         

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/

R. Aguilar

New Zafra Pals

       In continuation of our pen pal project with Zafra's German Cid and Ms. Marian Moriche Boza, we have about forty students writing this year.  Most students are from Mrs. Showers-Evans, with a few from my classes. At present they are writing through emails; cards and letters will be done at a later date.
      Ms. Moriche Boza was the second teacher to partner with us last year; we hope to continue to work with all her students in the future as well.

R. Aguilar

Young Pen-pal Program

    This semester I have begun teaching a class of sixth graders in an Exploratory Language class where students will learn basic communication and structure skills in Spanish, French and Italian.
     Since they are not fluent, I decided to pair them up with a class in Burguillos that needs practice in English.
      Therefore, our most recent addition to the pen pal project is Ms. Alejandra Guerrero's class from Colegio Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Burguillos del Cerro where all students will be writing in English.

Students from Colegio Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

R. Aguilar