New Pals at The Jesuit School of San Jose in Villafranca, Extremadura

     Dear friends; during the month of February, I was contacted by Mr. Mariano Parra Diaz, an English teacher of Colegio Jesuitas San Jose in Villafranca de los Barros in Extremadura. We discussed the possibility of adding one of his classes to join in the pen pals.
     Mr. Parra had heard of my project through his cousin, Antonio Surribas of Burguillos and also an Alumni of the Colegio.
    Therefore, Mr. Parra is now another of the teachers along with his school, as part of the project.

Some of my students that have pals at Colegio San Jose. Picture taken in Merida, Spain.

      Nestled on top of a hill, the Colegio San Jose began its history in the center of town, but afterwards the Society of Jesus decided to build the new school. The foundation was begun in 1895 and shortly after, in 1897, classes began. However, throughout the years the school continually added new structures, hallways, and classes to what we see today.

     The school's website and more information can be found here:
http://www.sanjosecolegio.com/
The school reminds me of Oxford in England. See for yourself - pictures of the school and its grounds can be found here:
http://www.sanjosecolegio.com/modulos/core_media/pub/listado.php?idcat=45&zona=quienes
 
     During our trip to Spain this past March, I met with Mr. Parra, however we were so short of time we did not visit the school. At present Mr. Parra and I have 22 students that are corresponding and getting to know more about each other through emails and other applications.

     I look forward to continuing our collaboration and expanding our involvement. Our next tour to Extremadura will bring my students to visit Villafranca and perhaps even working together on an activity.
Until soon!

Raquel Aguilar

Earth Day 2015: April 22

"Earth Day's 45th Anniversary could be the most exciting year in environmental history..it's our turn to lead"  Earth Day Network/Earth Day 2015

We can choose to do something today.

     Climate change continues to be on the news front of our lives as it goes on to have a devastating effect on our water, food supplies, and air quality.  

      This year, for Earth Day and every day, let's forge on by getting involved in your community. Now is the time to inform others, continue doing our part and keep on leading by example.

      Remember to:

        *Eat less meat.
        *Reduce energy consumption.
        *Begin composting.
        *Stop using plastic.
        *Plant more trees.
        *Buy local produce.
        *Grow your own food.
        *Live simply and produce less waste.
         ( http://proyectobdcspain.blogspot.com/2014/10/climate-change.html )

     You may also pledge to take action on any one of the featured items on the Earth Day webpage http://www.earthday.org/takeaction/campaigns.html 

     

We can't wait until tomorrow!

R. Aguilar

"BURGUILLANA" DIALECT

      In the world today, there are about 6,500-6,900 different languages. According to the Linguistic Society of America, some major languages in the world are English, Mandarine Chinese and Spanish.
     Just like languages, there are also dialects of the languages. A dialect is a form of a language that is spoken in a distinct area of where that language is used and has some of the same vocabulary, grammar and pronunciations.
     Unfortunately, every year languages and dialects are dying and no longer spoken.

   

     Dialects of Spanish in Spain vary across regions and have several dialects according to the region. Notably, the most popular dialects are that of Castilian Spanish and Andalusian Spanish. These dialects are distinct especially in pronunciation of the z and the letter c (pronounced as a /th/ in Castillian , but not in Andalusian). However, several other pronunciations are also different between the two major dialects. Vocabulary differences also play an important role of these dialects.

  

     In Burguillos del Cerro of Extremadura, I encountered a unique pronunciation difference that is soon becoming extinct in Spain; the ll is still pronounced as the original soft /g/ sound  as in the English word genre. In Burguillos, one can still hear this distinct sound in words "calle" "villa" and 'Llerena". Unfortunately, this pronunciation is becoming one sound in many parts of Spain and is referred to as "yeismo".
     "Yeismo" is the merging of the ll and y sounds in words and is common in the areas such as Madrid, Barcelona  and Seville as well as many others parts of Spain. For example, in "yeismo" the words calle and mayor, (the ll and the y ) have the same sound.
     Thus a more pure form of the Spanish language in the pronunciation of the ll  is still found in Burguillos del Cerro and other rural areas of Extremadura.

     While doing research on stories (cuentos) and legends (leyendas) of Extremadura for this project, I noticed a distinct vocabulary or dialect in the stories. I also came across this blog:
http://poesiasenestadopuro.blogspot.com/   but it wasn't until last summer that I knew the two were connected; Nico Pozon the originator of this blog is related to Antonio Requejo. During my holiday stay in Burguillos and while discussing stories and the dialects in them, Antonio showed me a dictionary. The title of this dictionary is HABLA BURGUILLANA.
     To my pleasant surprise, this dictionary was compiled and written by Nico Pozon, the same blog creator of Poesias en el Estado Puro.

 

Cover of  HABLA BURGUILLANA Dictionary

      Here are a few of the entries of Mr. Pozon's dictionary.

En el inte: En ese momento; en ese mismo instante. [In the moment/at the same time]

Ilesia: Iglesia [Church]

Jamá; Comer; tomar alimento [To eat]

To: Todo (En la boa había de to.)  [All/everything]

Untavía: Todavía [Still/yet as in I still have to write.]

Vide: Ver [To see]


       As a language teacher, I know that the only way to preserve languages and dialects is to continue teaching them to the younger generations. Even in this century, we have already lost languages that will no longer be spoken. What Mr. Pozon and the town of Burguillos are doing is maintaining and conserving their language in spoken and written form.
      And with the language, comes the culture that gives it life and identity, thus also preserving its heritage.

     The involvement in the pen pal project has made my students aware that other cultures and countries make an effort to learn more that one language. My hope for them is that they never stop appreciating other dialects as well as languages and inspire them to learn more.



R. Aguilar 
( © Copyright protected: no portion may be copied or shared without written permission.)

Mr. Nico Pozon's blog has wonderful poetry, photos and information of Burguillos and Spain. For a further compiled list of his dictionary entries, go to the 2013 June entries on his blog, 
http://poesiasenestadopuro.blogspot.com/ .

More News from Spain

      I just received this from our friends in Jerez de los Caballero; a great article from the Education Council of Extremadura.
      Enjoy!

http://lagaceta.educarex.es/leer/alumnos-americanos-visitan-companeros-sotomayor-terrazas-jerez-caballeros.html


R. Aguilar

Spain Group Visit: ZAFRA

      Our last pen pal destination was in Zafra, which is about thirty minutes away from Burguillos del Cerro.
Thursday late afternoon: March 19, 2015

      Before we arrived, Antonio gave us important information of the town's history, and the heritage of the Dukes of Feria. Zafra was captured twice during the reconquest by Christian forces, under two kings of Spain. The Dukedom began to take change during the reign of King Henry lll when it was granted to Lorenzo Suarez de Figueroa; his second son, Gomez Suarez de Figueroa became the first Duke of Feria. Gomez Suarez de Figueroa is buried in Zafra.
      Some of the important places in Zafra include the Alcazar fortress, and the Convent of Santa Clara.
   
     Another important place is the Plaza Grande, that was built around the 16th century. Along with the Plaza Chica, they were one of the first constructions built in the city and the place where merchants stopped to sell their goods.

      Our group walked towards the Plaza Grande where we met with the teacher from CEIP Germán CID,  Marian Moriche Boza and some of her students.
Germán CID was the second school we partnered with and some students have been corresponding since last year.
      Within minutes, more of the Zafra students joined us at the plaza. My students got to meet their pals and even met new students. They were all so happy and the conversations were non-stop! The students then began forming a circle, singing and playing. Many friendships were made and students continue to exchange emails and messages.
     It was such a joyous event, but time was not on our side. We hope to continue our relationships with the school and students in Zafra and build a longer program for future visits.

Below our some pictures of our momentous gathering.

Introductions.

Meeting with Pen Pal

Playing around.

New Pals:

Walking us towards the bus.

      After our visits with our pen pals, we continued our tour and headed towards Sevilla, Spain. Two days later we made our way to our last stop -Málaga via a stop at Cordoba and the Mezquita. 

     Our tour was exciting and memorable. We will never forget it and some of the students are already talking about returning to Extremadura and Spain, one day soon!

    

R. Aguilar

PROYECTO EXTREMADURA DAY in BURGUILLOS DEL CERRO

Continuing our visit to Spain from last week:
March 19, 2015 : Today we arrived at Burguillos del Cerro.

     Proyecto Extremadura began two years ago with Burguillos del Cerro and students from Pershing Middle School being the foundation of it. Burguillos was, and continues to be the first town where our pen-pal correspondences began. We added the tree-planting and ecological aspect to enhance our visit as our project evolved.
During the project development, Antonio Requejo, native to Burguillos was my liaison to the school, teachers and citizens of his town. It was through him that the tree-planting took hold with the assistance of the Ayuntamiento and the Mayor.
It was therefore fitting to ask our Mayor of Houston, The Honorable Annise Parker, to acknowledge their contribution for their involvement and our tree-planting, as a bond to forever seal our friendships between Houston, Texas and Burguillos del Cerro, Spain.
Mayor Parker and her office of International Affairs felt a proclamation would better represent our hard work and dedication to the cultural, heritage, language and ecological awareness of the project.

     Upon our arrival in Burguillos, we met city officials and our pen-pals at the plaza. After greeting officials, students and teachers, we walked towards the ayuntamiento, or city hall.  A welcoming speech was made by the Mayor's assistant, Ms. Carmen Timon Lozano, and I presented the city and its citizens the proclamation from Houston.

The closing paragraphs of the proclamation read:
"WHEREAS, the City of Houston commends the faculty and students who have participated in Proyecto Extremadura for their dedication to cultural education and environmental awareness.

 "THEREFORE, I, Anisse D. Parker, Mayor of the City of Houston, herby proclaim MARCH 19, 2015, as

PROYECTO EXTREMADURA DAY

in Houston, Texas."                                           

*Signed and officially sealed on march 5, 2015

     After the presentation, each member of my group was given a memento from the city. We left city hall and began our tour around Burguillos, led by Antonio.
     All the while, the students were eager to continue their conversations and meet the other students from Matias R. Martinez School. The students were laughing, smiling and using Spanish and English to get to know more about their friends. Most of my students had been anticipating this meeting for months. It was such a warm and beautiful experience when I saw how all of them were getting along very well!

Antonio at Zafra Street Cross.

     On our tour of the town, our first stop was the entrance cross on Zafra street, where the old road to Zafra and a Roman road still exists. Antonio then led the group towards the Plaza Alta and further explained the history and heritage of the area. After that, we made our way toward the castle foothills. Although part of the castle was made during the Muslim conquest, the Knights Templar reconstructed the one that still stands today.

     While in the area, we went into the Church of Santa Maria de Encina (13th Century), vital to the Templars and to the village. Nearby, we then visited the Church of San Juan Bautista, an ancient sacred site, of which has now been converted to a Research Cultural Center and Templar exhibit. While at the Templar exhibit, we learned about the involvement of the knights in Burguillos and Extremadura. We also saw and gained knowledge about the life and history of the Templars.
 


    Our last stop was at the outskirts of Burguillos where we began planting the trees. We planted ten cork trees and ten olive trees. We had studied about these trees and the importance to the ecology and culture in all my Spanish classes this past year. The tree planting was a culminating activity for our project; we hope to return one day to see their progress.
 

                           

     Also during this stop, we presented all our pals, and some citizens of Burguillos., with a recyclable bag donated by Whole Foods Markets with the following message;

REPARA, REUTILIZA, RECICLA.

Usa esta bolsa para estas tareas tan cotidianas pero tan necesarias. Tu planeta te lo agradecerá. Una bolsa para muchos usos. Con cada uno de ellos tienes un regalo.

Proyecto Extremadura: proyectobdcspain.blogspot.com

Raquel Aguilar

Y Escuela Pershing-Houston,TX

     We concluded the visit to Burguillos del Cerro with lunch at the Swimming Pool Restaurant were we shared a meal with our pen-pals.
   
 I would like to thank Juan Carlos Guerrero; English teacher of our pen pals; the City of Burguillos del Cerro, for a joyous and heartfelt occasion.
    Also big THANK YOU also to Explorica Educational Travel, for without their dedication to teachers this custom tour, to include our visits and all aspects, would not have been possible.

    I hope to continue our work and collaborations in Burguillos del Cerro and anticipate a return to the village to meet once again with my lovely friends and gracious people; it truly is a place close to my heart.


Raquel Aguilar; Houston, Texas

http://www.burguillosdelcerro.es/modulos/mod_periodico/pub/mostrar_noticia.php?id=198
This is a link to the city's article on our visit. click on the "TODAS LAS FOTOS AQUI" to view all their photos from our day.

Group visit in Spain-Jerez de Los Caballeros

     This past week, we were so fortunate to be in Spain. Apart from visiting the sites in the big cities of Madrid and Sevilla, we also went to The Royal Monastery of Guadalupe, and the Roman town of Merida, before arriving to Jerez de los Caballeros in Extremadura.

JEREZ de los CABALLEROS

March 18, 2015; Wednesday.

     Our arrival to Jerez de los Caballeros was in the late afternoon. As our bus got closer to the castle roads, we could see the students and adults waving to us in anticipation of our arrival.

We quickly got off the bus to go meet our penfriends. The students that did not have one in that town, were assigned one from the wonderful coordinator of the group, Ms. Manuela Masero. Ms. Masero and the Principal, Ms. Angela Maya were instrumental in arranging all the student activities, along with the rest of the English teachers from CEIP Sotomayor y Terrazas.

     The Honorable Lady Mayor of Jerez, Virginia Boralla, also met and greeted the Houston group. The city and some of its citizens, reenacted a Knights Templar scene for us at the castle grounds. After that was over, it was time for photos and a gift video from the actors!
   
     Our group was then guided by the students of Sotomayor y Terrazas through the old town, giving us information in English and Spanish about the places of interest.
     We concluded our visit at the school where we were treated to some snacks and I was presented with a Templar figurine for our visit.

 
      The highlight of the entire visit in Jerez, however, was the amazing camaraderie displayed by both schools! Although shy and a bit nervous at first, our students were answering questions from the Jerez pupils, and in the process they were getting to know more about their friends. As an educator, I was very pleased and overcome with such emotion to see their interactions. In fact one of the teachers from the Colegio said that the students were talking more now than they had in the classroom.

     Likewise, I saw Pershing students using their Spanish to acquaint themselves and discover more about their pen pals; they were truly enjoying themselves. It was such a warm feeling to see how much they all liked each other and the effort they were all making to appreciate their visit.
 
    As mentioned before, Ms Manuela Masero, the English teachers, and the Ayuntamiento (City) of Jerez de los Caballeros made it possible for our stay to be fruitful and fulfilling.

   Much was achieved in the short time we were there. Therefore we plan on continuing our correspondences with the students and teachers alike. Our future plans are to expand our stay in Jerez de los Caballeros in another tour.
   Thank you from the bottom of my heart, for the amazing time we all had!

Raquel Aguilar; Houston

VIDEO FROM AYUNTAMIENTO JEREZ de los CABALLEROS

R. Aguilar; ©

http://sotomayoryterrazasbilingualsection.blogspot.com.es/2015/03/nos-visitan-desde-houston.html
This is the Colegio's post of our visit.