2nd English Poetry Competition „The Beginnings”

2nd English Poetry Competition 
took place in our school on 1st December 2010.

 

Students from eight secondary schools did their best to charm the jury with their recitation skills. The competition was fierce and the poems varied from some masterpieces of classical English writers to modern works of contemporary authors. Let us just mention a few such as E.A. Poe,  R.L. Frost, W.B. Yeats, E.B. Browning, W. Blake or Tupac Amaru Shakur. The poems also varied in length and difficulty, so the jury had a hard nut to crack.

 

The jury made up of all teachers whose students participated in the show assessed the performances upon various components such as recitation skills, pronunciation or emotional insight. Unfortunately, due to unfavorable weather conditions on that particular day, some of the participants could not arrive on time or did not manage to turn up at all.  Despite these difficulties, the  audience had a real feast of poetry recitation enhanced by flickering candles  and mysterious decoration of the room.

This year the winner was Natalia Bassak with THE RAVEN by E.A. Poe. 

Natalia amazed the audience with her deep emotional insight into the poem. The message was strengthened even more by Natalia’s acting skills and a well chosen garment. Congratulations!

I prize: VIII LO  Natalia Bassak, E.A.  Poe, THE RAVEN

 You may find the poem here: http://www.heise.de/ix/raven/Literature/Lore/TheRaven.html

II prize: II LO Katarzyna Majewska, Robert Frost, THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

III prize: I LO Marcelina Masłowska, Christine Georgina Rosetti, THE FIRST DAY

 

Aleksandra Grącka with FUNERAL BLUES by W.H. Auden was awarded a special prize awarded the representative of the Learn and Smile Foundation. 

Congratulations!

We were delighted to see all those glints of joy in the students’ eyes while they were collecting the prizes from Genowefa Malicka, the headmistress of 7LO, and the representative of Learn and Smile Foundation.

 

The competition was sponsored by Learn and Smile Foundation, which awarded the best participants generously. The winners received the most valuable prizes such as English-English dictionaries and classical books of English writers. However, the Learn and Smile Foundation, according to its name, let no participant go away empty-handed and everyone received a small gift in the shape of an abridged English book.

We would like to express our gratitude to Learn and Smile Foundation and its representative present during the competition who made all the efforts to take part in our competition.

We also express our warm gratitude to all the teachers who assisted their students and who made the effort to motivate them to such great work.

THANK YOU AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU NEXT YEAR! 

Juvenes Translatores

Juvenes Translatores

This year again our students participated in a translation contest “Juvenes Translatores” held for schools in 27 member states of the European Union.

Participants Piotr Talkowski (2a), Paulina Niedbalska (2b), Natalia Nitka (2b), Daniel Panfil (2d) and Oskar Wietecki (2d) translated the text “Fortune favours the brave new Europeans.”

The winners will be invited to the awards ceremony in Brussels on 7 April 2011.

(: WE KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED! :)

Halloween

Halloween (or Hallowe'en) is an annual holiday observed on October 31, primarily in the United States, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. It has roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holiday All Saints' Day, but is today largely a secular celebration.

Common Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, wearing costumes and attending costume parties, carving jack-o'-lanterns, ghost tours, bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, committing pranks, telling ghost stories or other frightening tales, and watching horror films.

The ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the Otherworld became thin on Samhain, allowing spirits (both harmless and harmful) to pass through. The family's ancestors were honoured and invited home while harmful spirits were warded off. It is believed that the need to ward off harmful spirits led to the wearing of costumes and masks. Their purpose was to disguise oneself as a harmful spirit and thus avoid harm.

Trick-or-treating is a customary celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, "Trick or treat?" The word "trick" refers to a (mostly idle) "threat" to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given. In some parts of Scotland children still go guising. In this custom the child performs some sort of trick, i.e. sings a song or tells a ghost story, to earn their treats.

The practice of dressing up in costumes and begging door to door for treats on holidays dates back to the Middle Ages and includes Christmas wassailing. Trick-or-treating resembles the late medieval practice of souling, when poor folk would go door to door on Hallowmas (November 1), receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day (November 2). It originated in Ireland and Britain, although similar practices for the souls of the dead were found as far south as Italy.

(source: http://en.wikipedia.org)

2nd English Poetry Competition

„The Beginnings”

We are happy to announce the 2^nd English Poetry Competition for secondary schools students is opened. The competition shall take place on 1st December 2010. Students attending 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd form of all secondary schools in Torun are welcomed to participate.

The contestants shall present a recitation of one poem of their liking of any of British poets. The jury of the competition shall assess the style of recitation and interpretation of the chosen poem.

Schools willing to enroll their students please apply not later than 10^th November 2010.

The successful applications shall contain:

• the name of the school
• the name(s) of the contestant(s)
• the title(s) of the poem(s) to be recited along with the name(s) of its/their author(s)
• the name(s) of the supervisor teacher(s)
• an e-mail address for communication purposes

Do not hesitate!

Enroll now and astonish and amuse us with your actor's skills!

The best contestants shall be rewarded with valuable and attractive prizes

If you are interested please contact us online: lo7@viilo.torun.pl

Or send us an application containing all the aforementioned details for the following address:

VII Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Wandy Szuman

Ul. Batorego 39B 87-100 Toruń

„Learn with Smile” and get the prize...!

Holidays are coming….  so it's perfect time for evaluations, awards and congratulations.

This year again the students of VII LO are going to be awarded prizes for their achievements in learning English by the foundation “Learn with Smile” – Fundacja na Rzecz Wspierania Nauki Języków Obcych *

The best students will get books and dictionaries.

The top prize: a course of English in one of the language schools in Toruń  for the academic year 2010/11  goes to …… Angelina Szuman (2a).  Angelina has won this prize for the second time in a row.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Lilianna Szczepna, RIP

*The foundation “LEARN WITH SMILE” was established after the death of our dear colleague, the teacher of English Lilianna Szczepna, who died tragically on 2 February 2008.

Lilianna was the teacher full of enthusiasm, passion, loving her students, with a constant smile on her face. The society of our school will always keep her in our hearts.

A quest from Singapore

We are happy to present an interview with Zuo Meng, our guest from Singapore. Zuo Meng has been a teacher trainee in 7th LO since 20^th May 2010. She has been conducting classes with our students, giving presentations on life in Singapore, Chinese culture and generally sharing with us her cultural view of the world.

Zuo Meng with Genowefa Malicka, the headmistress of 7^th LO, receiving her internship certificate.

How did it happen that you came to Poland?

Zuo Meng: I came due to an organization called AIESEC, which leads Global Talent Program and makes student’s exchange. In October I decided to try such exchange, in February I found opportunities in Turkey, Kenya, Uganda… After looking at requirements and negotiations I’ve chosen Poland. The purpose of that organization is to make impact on students in different parts of the world, to bring change in ourselves.

How do you like Toruń?

Zuo Meng: I love this town. I was used to big cities, so here I find peace in my mind. There are also friendly people, who do care about their friends. But I have an impression, that here people are not that much ambitious, not like in my country. The architecture I find amazing.

What differences do you see between life in Singapore and Toruń?

Zuo Meng: People here lead more natural life, in Singapore everything is artificial. Here I feel closer to nature, not stressed. In Singapore people are somehow cold, they have too much pressure on themselves.  The mental issues are not visible there.  People must study hard for good career, best life you can imagine is to have your own flat and house.

What surprised you most in Poland?

Zuo Meng: Everything is so smooth and perfect – this is the biggest surprise. Except that, the old town of Toruń. It’s gorgeous.

What do you do in Singapore and how do you spend your free time?

Zuo Meng: I study. My life is: studying and AIESEC.  I write articles, have conferences. It’s personal development.  About entertainment – movies. I love cinema, the tickets are quite cheap. When I meet friends, we usually go out to a restaurant. This kind of meeting friends is more popular than clubbing. I am from China, but at the age of 16 I left for Singapore. I went abroad, because in China there are too many students, you can’t find nor good university neither decent job. My parents work for the government and of course I don’t have any siblings – this is forbidden in my country.

What do you think about students in our school?

Zuo Meng: They are nice, extremely lovely! The truth is that I knew nothing about Poland before coming, other students who already have been on such exchanges told me:  don’t have any expects. But everything is so perfect! When have my classes many of you are shy, but sincere, I see you would like to talk to me. Many are inviting me, taking care of me. I don’t want to leave Toruń!

Thank you very much!

Interviewee: Zuo Meng

Interviewers:  Łukasz Zarzyczny , 1A Danuta Mackojć. 1A

How to fall in love with Torun in three days…

On 15th May 2010 our school participated in a national competition “Moje Miejsce na Ziemi” organized by National Geographic an “Nowa Era” Publishing House. In the competition teams of 4-6 pupils were supposed to prepare a four-page magazine with their view on the place of their residence. The magazine should have contained a vivid description of the city accompanied by photographs taken by the students. Four students of VIILO took part in the competition. 

The project was prepared by

Katharina Przeperska IID

Monika Kostrubała IID

Julita Makowska IID

Anna Luck IID

Details on the competition may be found here: http://www.nowaera.pl/konkurs

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by the Irish and Irish at Heart in big cities and small towns alike with parades, "wearing of the green," music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, colouring and games. Its a time for fun. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green!

Well now St. Patrick's Day wouldn't exist if not for the man himself! But how much do we know about him? Did you know that he spent six years of slavery in Ireland until he escaped and undertook religious training abroad?
Saint Patrick was the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no snakes in Ireland, but there probably never have been - the island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age. As in many old pagan religions, serpent symbols were common and often worshipped. Driving the snakes from Ireland was probably symbolic of putting an end to that pagan practice. While not the first to bring Christianity to Ireland, it is Patrick who is said to have encountered the Druids at Tara and abolished their pagan rites. The story holds that he converted the warrior chiefs and princes, baptizing them and thousands of their subjects in the "Holy Wells" that still bear this name.

There are several accounts of Saint Patrick's death. One says that Patrick died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, on March 17, 460 A.D. His jawbone was preserved in a silver shrine and was often requested in times of childbirth, epileptic fits, and as a preservative against the "evil eye." Another account says that St. Patrick ended his days at Glastonbury, England and was buried there. The Chapel of St. Patrick still exists as part of Glastonbury Abbey. Today, many Catholic places of worship all around the world are named after St. Patrick, including cathedrals in New York and Dublin city

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig is the Gaelic way of expressing a wish that you have all the blessings of St Patrick's Day and the "luck of the Irish" to go with it. There are many humorous explanations for this expression. One comes from the legend of the 'Little People' of the land, know as leprechauns. Finding or catching a leprechaun (who would then give you gold) was a lucky event that could only take place in Ireland ! The Irish are descendants of great Celtic and Viking fighters and invaders. Their natural fighting skills often ensured survival & hence they became known as the 'lucky' people, a classic case of making your own luck !

Many folk ask the question 'Why is the Shamrock the National Flower of Ireland ?'  The reason is that St. Patrick used it to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagans.

One-Actor Theatre

On 12th March 2010 our school participated in One-Actor Theatre Competition.

Patrycja Słupska (2A) presented a piece of "Romeo and Juliet", a famous Shakespearean tragedy, and was unanimously awarded the Second Prize. Patrycja, practicing her shills with a vigilant eye of Professor Bożena Wojtokowiak upon her, undoubtedly cut a dash and presented her actor’s talent at full swing once again.

Congratulations!

The Love Poetry Competition

We are delighted to announce the winners of the Love Poetry Competition organized and conducted by our school. The competition was fierce and many poems captivated the hearts of our jury. Here are the winners:

Katharina Przeperska, 2D

Trap of Love

Feel your Presence
In all the furthest nook of the world.
Taste your Voice
At once after waking up.
Know your Touch by heart
And feel it everywhere
How it fondles
And embraces safely.
Listen to your Laugh
Like the most beautiful music
Look into your Eyes
And see the Sky
Love you…
As if the world was ending
Right now.

Karolina Wąsicka, 2A

Dear

Sound sleep in the middle
of the night
Faded colour of a flower does
not sleep with us.
Covered by light and rose petals
we read each other.
Every thought and breath
of darkness falls in the chamber 
of loneliness.
Only one bright flame of the
moon is playing with us.
He knows that the distance
does not stretch forever.
Let the ray of sunshine not get up
and knock into your eyelids.
Because only you in your love
Have not died

Stanislaw Knieszner-Kowalski, 1D

When I met you I felt strange
From first look I started to change
I thought that I’m not going to lose my head
But every while with you was making me glad
And When I lose for you everything
You plunged in me the devil sting
With the words demanding to go away from you
That was like turning my bad dreams true
Before that I wanted to dance, to sing!
And now I’m feeling like Smigol without his ring

CONGRATULATIONS!