Comenius Forave

“The Revival of the historical food of Europe and benefits for healthy diet of population”: Meeting in Italy

2011-11-17T18:59:00.000-08:00

From 9th until 14th our Comenius Team was in Reggio Emilia participating in one more Comenius Meeting.

Our students attended some presentations, cooked Portuguese traditional meals at the REGUSTIBUS FAIR and visited the city with colleagues from the Czech Republic, Sweden and Italy.

Here are some photos.

Comenius Multilateral Project "TOLERANCE as a Key to Social Integration Into European Dimension for Young Citizens "

2011-11-17T18:22:00.000-08:00

Here are some frames of the film about FORAVE we took to Riga.

Comenius Multilateral Project "TOLERANCE as a Key to Social Integration Into European Dimension for Young Citizens ": Meeting in Riga

2011-11-17T00:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of our meeting in Riga.

Comenius Multilateral Project "TOLERANCE as a Key to Social Integration Into European Dimension for Young Citizens"

2011-11-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

Here are the logos and the slogans that our students did for the project and that we´ll take to Riga next week.

Slogans:

All different, all equal.
We are the world.
All around us is thesame.
The world is in ourhands.
Many differences, thesame rights.
The world belongs to everyone.

“The Revival of the historical food of Europe and benefits for healthy diet of population”: Typical recipes to be taken to REGUSTIBUS

2011-11-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

Here is a film with our students cooking the two typical Portuguese recipes we´ll take to Reggio Emilia.

Enjoy!

“The Revival of the historical food of Europe and benefits for healthy diet of population”: Multilingual Cooking Dictionary

2011-10-19T14:25:00.000-07:00

We´re working on the Multilingual Cooking Dictionary...

Here is bit of it.

Two new Comenius Projects

2011-09-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

This year our European work will continue and we’ll take part in two new Comenius projects!
With partners from Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, Poland and Latvia we’ll develop the Multilateral Project “TOLERANCE as a Key to Social Integration Into European Dimension for Young Citizens" and with a Spanish partner from Tenerife we´ll work on "Aiming for a Better World with a Multicultural School".

Two very interesting projects which will allow the debate between young people from different cultures and contribute to better understanding, openness and tolerance in our society.

“The Revival of the historical food of Europe and benefits for healthy diet of population”: Portuguese Summer Recipes

2011-07-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

Summer is the time for light and refreshing meals.
Here are two quick and easy to prepare typicalPortuguese recipes - a salad and a sweet and cool dessert!
Enjoy!

Revival of the historical food of Europe and benefits for healthy diet of population”: Gastronomy of Porto and the Minho Region

2011-05-04T17:18:00.000-07:00

Portuguese cuisine is very diverse, with different regions having their own traditional dishes.

We are organizing a recipe book with the most traditional recipes from all our country´s regions.

Meanwhile, here is a presentation about the Minho Region.

Comenius Project "What we are, what we hope we will be" : Last meeting in Cosenza, Italy

2011-04-11T07:19:00.000-07:00

The last meeting of our Comenius Project “"What we are, what we hope we will be"” took place at the Italian school Liceo Scientifico “G. B.Scorza” in Cosenza.
The FORAVE Comenius Team met the project partners, carried out the planned activities and evaluated the project.
After some presentations about future jobs and the daily routine of a trainee, the Comenius European team participated in some field trips and sports activities.

Comenius Project "What we are, what we hope we will be" : Career Days

2011-04-01T23:41:00.000-07:00

Since our meeting in Norway we have organized “Career Days” during which we got some information about the different jobs we can have in the future.

We had a Quality Control Engineer, Carla Barbosa, and a former student, Silvia Santos, who talked about the skills, needed to be successful in that area of work and answered all the doubts we had.

We also had a Mechanic Engineer, Joel Dias, and a former student of the Automation and Maintenance Course, Tiago Dias, who underlined that a good job is the result of study and hard work and that we must be students during all our life if we don´t want others to replace us in our workplace. They also warned us that companies are looking for the best technicians and that we shouldn´t expect to get a high wage salary immediately after finishing school, but that we would only get it after years of hard work and experience.

Finally, we had a seminar with a former student, Lucinda Santos, a successful accountant who works for the Tax Office Services and who considered that to be successful we need to know everything about our area of work but also to try to learn something about the different jobs related with that area. She also warned us that there is no such thing as a job for life and that we have to continuously improve our skills and knowledge throughout our life.

The Comenius Students

Comenius Project "What we are, what we hope we will be" : A day in the life of a trainee

2011-04-01T14:16:00.000-07:00

I´m Cátia Neves and I´m a 12th grade student at FORAVE. I study Management and Administration and this is my last year at school. During this last year I have to work in a company for some time (420 hours). It´s my traineeship. I think a traineeship is very important because we can contact with the reality of the world of work and we can acquire new skills and develop the ones we got at school. This year I`m working at Moveltor a company which makes furniture for the internal market but also for some clients abroad. My working hours are from 9 to 5, so I work 7 hours a day. I have different tasks during my trainee working day. First, the manager of the company gives me some information about the work I have to do. After that I deal with all sort of documents like invoices, quotes, receipts and others. I also answer phone calls and receive clients. Sometimes I have to go to the bank, to the post office or to the Tax Office. I can also visit suppliers and clients. It´s a hard day of work but also a very rewarding one because I think I learn a lot and I feel I will be prepared to face the real world of work and to be a successful manager.

“The Revival of the historical food of Europe and benefits for healthy diet of population”: Meeting in Trollhättan, Sweden

2011-03-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

The second meeting of our Comenius Project “The Revival of the historical food of Europe and benefits for healthy diet of population” took place at the Swedish school Magnus Åbergsgymnasiet in Trollhättan. Two teachers and six students from FORAVE met the project partners and carried out the planned activities.

After some presentations about one´s school/country, all the Comenius European team participated in field trips and in a workshop during which they cooked some typical Swedish dishes that were tasted and evaluated by the groups from the different countries.

Here are some pictures.

“The Revival of the historical food of Europe and benefits for healthy diet of population”: Portuguese Christmas Dishes

2010-12-17T12:30:00.000-08:00

Food is an important part of Christmas traditions in Portugal.

There is a wide variety of Christmas dishes that can be found on Portuguese dinner tables during Christmas time. As most of them have their origin in the Mediterranean diet, olive oil, fish, potatoes and vegetables are their most important ingredients.

The night of the 24th December is an important time in the Christmas calendar. On Christmas Eve, or “Consoada”, the Portuguese have salted cod fish for dinner. Its preparation starts the day before Christmas Eve when the cod is steeped in water for 24 hours to remove most of the salt. It is then cooked in a large pan of water with vegetables, potatoes and eggs.

On Christmas Day many different dishes are eaten including turkey, pork, kid, and lamb.

Cakes and sweets are also a major part of the Christmas dinner. “Bolo rei” or king cake, "Mexidos" and “Rabanadas” are some of the favourite ones.

To show you some of these typical dishes, our Comenius students have prepared a “Christmas dinner”.

Here are the pictures, the recipes ("Mexidos" and "Bacalhau Cozido") and the results of the meal evaluation.

Happy Christmas!!

“The Revival of the historical food of Europe and benefits for healthy diet of population”: Visiting Caves Calém (Porto Wine Cellars)

2010-12-12T03:42:00.000-08:00

Project work about the visit and Porto Wine

Comenius “What we are, what we hope we will be“ : Comenius Meeting in Sveio, Norway.

2010-11-03T17:17:00.000-07:00

Between 28th September and 2nd October, the European Comenius team responsible for the Comenius Project “What we are, what we hope we will be“ met in Sveio, Norway.

The two teachers and six students from FORAVE met the Norwegian, Turkish, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Romanian and Italian Comenius teams to discuss and evaluate the development of the project and to carry out the planned activities.

There were also students´ presentations about one´s school/country, field trips and some cooking experiences, during which we had the chance to prepare Leite Creme, a typical Portuguese dessert.

Comenius Multilateral Meeting in Blansko, Czech Republic

2010-10-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

The first meeting of our Comenius Project “The Revival of the historical food of Europe and benefits for healthy diet of population” took place at the Czech school Střední odborná škola a Střední odborné učiliště Blansko in Blansko.
Last week two teachers and four students from FORAVE met the Italian, Swedish and Czech Comenius teams to discuss and evaluate the development of the project and to carry out the planned activities.
There were also students´ presentations about one´s school/country, field trips and some cooking experiences, during which we had the chance to prepare a typical Portuguese dessert and to taste and evaluate traditional foods from the different countries which take part in this project.

A new Multilateral Comenius Project - “The Revival of the historical food of Europe and benefits for healthy diet of population”

2010-09-07T16:32:00.000-07:00

This year our European ”adventure” will continue.
Besides the two projects – “What we are, what we hope we will be” and “Europe: so far, so near” we have been developing since September 2009, we’re going to take part in a new Multilateral Comenius project!
With partners from Italy and Sweden and the coordination of the Czech school Střední odborná škola a Střední odborné učiliště Blansko , we’re going to develop the Multilateral Project “The Revival of the historical food of Europe and benefits for healthy diet of population” which aims to rediscover and to prepare old traditional meals from the participating European countries and will also focus on people's increased awareness of eating healthy food (locally and bio cultivated for sustainability).
As usual in our school, this school year will be a time for hard work, but also for new discoveries and new friendships!

Comenius Meeting in Lousado

2010-05-14T10:34:00.000-07:00

Between 3rd and 8th May, the second meeting of the Comenius Project “What we are, what we hope we will be“ took place at our school. 28 students and 12 teachers from Bulgary, Hungary, Italy, Norway and Turkey met the Portuguese team to discuss the development of the project and to carry out some of the planned activities.
It was a week full of activities. Meetings to discuss the products that had already been made and to plan the future ones; ice-breaking games which allowed the different groups to get to know each other and to make new friends; students´ presentations about each school/country and about music and fashion; field trips to Viana do Castelo and Oporto; sports events; a common fashion show where the participating countries showed traditional and modern costumes and a dinner with traditional Portuguese music and dances.
It was a great week which allowed us all to get to know our partners and their different cultures, educational systems and ways of living and made our students and teachers develop their language skills. And last, but not least, a week which gave us the chance to make new friends.

Project Meeting in Portugal

2010-01-12T04:33:00.000-08:00

Dear partners,
Here are the students who will host yours during your stay in Portugal.

Rogério, João Barreira, João Areal, Andreia, Diogo and Joaquim (back row, from left to right)
Severina, Alexandra and Ângela (front row, from left to right)

Multilateral Project Meeting in Romania

2009-10-31T23:07:00.000-07:00

We have updated our Comenius Corner with the beautiful gifts from our partners.

Comenius Multilateral Meeting in Romania

2009-10-31T17:25:00.000-07:00

First Project Meeting in Bucharest, Romania

Last week teachers Teresa Santos and Alda Matos visited the Romanian Colegiul Agricol Viaceslav Harnaj in Bucharest.
The partners evaluated the work already done and planned the activities and the meetings for the rest of the school year.
Our teachers also took some presentations about FORAVE and our students.
Next May, it will be our turn to welcome our European partners.

The project team at Peles Castle

Teachers Teresa Santos and Alda Matos with some Romanian and Hungarian students

The project team at Muzeul Taranului Român

Some of the Romanian students

Students´presentations

Our Romanian friends

Comenius Bilateral and Multilateral Partnerships

2009-10-31T15:17:00.001-07:00

Here are the last presentations written by our students.

Hello!!!
My name is Jorge Silva and I’m 17 years old. I’m a student in FORAVE where
I study Electronics, Automation and Instrumentation.
I have got short brown hair and green eyes. I’m tall and slim. I’m very funny and like talking a lot.
I live in Covelas, a small village in Trofa, but I like living there.
My hobbies are being a scout, playing the guitar and playing computer games.
I am a member of FORTUNA, the school band, and as you can see I play the guitar.
I like meeting my friends and going to parties, to have a coffee and to have fun.

Hi!! I am Ângela Costa. I live in Ribeirão. I am 16 years old.
I study Management in Forave, a vocational school. I like this school because we have lots of extra-curricular activities like Halloween, Carnival and others…
I love parties, going out with friends, going to the disco and cinema, shopping for clothes...
I live with my grandmother and my grandfather.
My grandparents are very nice, fun and friendly.
My mother is working in Switzerland. I don’t have any brothers or sisters.
If you want to contact me via e-mail: angela.22444@hotmail.com.
I look forward to meeting you.
Ângela Costa

Hello,
My name is Tiago. I'm 21 and I live in a small village called Lousado. This small village has three thousand inhabitants and is located between Braga and Porto. About myself I can say that I'm quite high (1.85m) and slim (73kg). I have got an athletic body because I go to the gym almost every day. I have got light brown eyes and hair. My clothing style is casual. I am a very talkative person that makes me very sociable.
I'm addicted to Internet and usually I spend hours researching topics of my interest. I like a good challenge and therefore I spend most of my life dreaming: "If you do not dream, you do not live, you do not feel, you will not be able to meet your unconscious".
Every day I get up and I longing to achieve my personal goals. I Study management and my main aim is building my own business.
When I have some available time I spend it with the people that I love: my girlfriend, parents, friends and everybody who makes me smile.
I love listening to music and my favourite music style is Minimal. I like listening to some bands like System of a Down, Linking Park, Green Day, 3 doors down, Slipknot, James Blunt and many more.
If you want to know more about me, write me a letter ;)
Or contact me by email: ginugokz@hotmail.com
See you soon.

Hello!
My name is Rosária Santos. I was born in 1992. I’m 17 years old. I’ve got long, brown hair and brown eyes. My favourite hobbies are cycling, karate, listening to music, playing computer, watching TV and skate. I sometimes go to the cinema or parties. I’ve got two elder brothers. I love hanging out with my friends. My brothers are my life and love them...
I am anxious to meet you!
Kisses,
Rosária

Hello!
My name is Joaquim. I’m 15 years old. I’ve got brown hair and blue eyes. I’m very funny.
I live in Mogege. It’s a beautiful village. I like living there, because my friends live there too. I study in Forave.
My favourite hobbies are playing guitar and sing.
My favourite band is Gun’s n’Roses. They play cool music.
I’ve got 2 dogs. Their names are Fiona and Dallila.
In my free time, I like composing. I have a band. In my band, I play electric guitar, drums and also sing.

Hi,
My name is Severina Santos.
I’m 14 years old and I was born on 9th November.
I live in Ribeirão.
I am single…
I am medium height and slim. I am funny and friendly.
I don’t like reading, but I love watching movies…for example Twilight and Saw…but I must confess that watching terror movies is a bit scary for me!!
I love listening to pop music, like the one from Michael Jackson.
But above all I love my family and my friends….every moment spent with them is unique!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello!
My name is Antonio Silva and I am 20 years old.
I am on my last year at FORAVE. I study Electronics, Automation and Instrumentation.
I love to play soccer, to go for a walk with friends and to ride my bike.
I am funny and I love joking.
Goodbye.

Hello,
I am Patrícia Silva. I'm 17 years old and I live in Famalicão. My hair and my eyes are brown and I am medium height.,
In my spare time I like dancing, listening to music, singing, watching TV, being with friends, surfing on the net, meeting new people, ... I accepted this challenge because I like to learn new things.
My email is pa13@live.com.pt.

My name is Carlos Vaz. I’m 18 years old and I’m from Cape Verde.
I live in Trofa and study in FORAVE, Lousado. I like living in Trofa because it’s a nice city.
My favourite sports are football, handball and volleyball. I like surfing the net, hanging out with my friends and other people, watching TV and DVDs. My favourite film is Twilight. I like horror, action, comedy, romance…I don’t like reading books. In my free time I play football, watch TV, surf the net, go out with friends and go to the cinema.
My favourite food is rice with codfish and my favourite drink is Compal (a Portuguese brand).
At the weekends I like going to the disco to dance. I like dancing kizomba.

Hello,
My name is Diana.
I am 20 years old and live in Ribeirao, a small village in the district of Braga.
I have got green eyes and blond hair. I'm smart and like meeting new people.
I study Management in Forave.
I love listening to music and some of my favourite bands are Paramore, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Myth, and others….
I like to dance and to work out to be fit.
I love taking pictures and having fun with my friends, especially with my boyfriend.
I like shopping and spend all my money on clothes.
If you want to know more about me, write me to d.g_dianagomes@hotmail.com
Kisses.

Hello.
My name is Daniela and I am 17 years.
I live in Famalicão and I study in FORAVE, a professional school.
My favourite hobbies are watching television, listening to music and surfing the web.
My favourite movies are comedy films and action.
My email is danisampaio_16@hotmail.com

Hi people!
My name is Leandro Silva and I’m 19 years old. I’ve got green eyes and blond hair.
I live in Trofa with my family (sister, mother and father) and like them a lot.
I’m a student in Forave. I like playing computer, football and volleyball.
I like my friends and driving my car.

My name is Ludmila Felicidade Lopes and I’m twenty-two years old.
I’m tall and thin. I’ve got short curly brown hair and my eyes are big and brown. I’m nice, shy, funny and friendly.
In my free time I love playing football and walking on the beach.

At the moment I live in Lousado, Vila Nova de Famalicão. I am from Cape Verde. I love Cape Verde because it’s so beautiful and my mother lives there.
I love the teachers of my school because they help me a lot.
My favourite food is « cachupa » (typical food from Cape Verde).
I love listening to music like James Blunt, Batuque or Funaná.

My name is Joao Barreira. I was born is 1992. I’m 17 years old. I’ve got short brown hair and blues eyes.

I’m very funny and shy.

I live in Trofa. It’s a nice city.

I like playing computer games and watching TV.

I like watching TV series like Supernatural and Naruto. I like going to the disco in order to listen house music.

Hello! My name is Juliana. I was born in 1992, so I am 17 years old.
I have got brown hair and brown eyes.
I live in Lousado.
My favourite hobbies are listening to music, watching TV and playing computer games.
My favourite band is Linkin Park. My favourite films are Twilight and Titanic.
I have got a brother and a sister. My sister´s name is Diana Sofia, she is 12 years old, and my brother´s name is Rui Pedro and he is 3 years old.
I am studying in FORAVE. The course I attend is called “Food Quality Control”.
Goodbye : )

Comenius Bilateral and Multilateral Partnerships

2009-10-31T13:46:00.000-07:00

Here are some more presentations written by our students.

My name is João Areal. I was born in 1990. I’m 19 years old. I’ve got brown hair and brown eyes. I live in Trofa.

My favourite hobbies are playing football and swimming. I like playing computer games and watching TV or DVDs. I like horror, comedy and action films. My favourite film is Gladiator.

In my freetime I like hanging out with my friends, surfing the net and do some sport. At the weekends I like going with friends to some Pubs, Discos or Cinema. I also like going with my girlfriend to the shopping centre.

I am Pedro Gomes and I live in Portugal. I am 16 years old. I’ve got no sisters or brothers.
My town is located between Porto and Braga. I like living there.
I’m very nice, hard working and funny.
In my free time I like playing computer games, riding my bike, surfing the Internet, listening to music and meeting new people.
I love going to the cinema with my friends and going to parties as well.
My favourite films are “Red line” and “Em nome do Rei”. I always watch TV series; my favourite series are “ER”, “The mentalist”, “24”, “Fringe” and “Prison Break”. (sou_eu_49@hotmail.com)

My name is Ana Soares. I was born in 1993. I´m 16 years old. I’ve got brown eyes, light brown hair and round face. I am very funny, friendly and talkative. I live in Ribeirão. It’s a nice town. I like living there. My favourite hobbies are playing basketball and swimming. I like watching TV, surfing the net and watching DVDs. I like better comedy and action films. My favourite film is “O Diamante de Sangue”. In my spare time I like listening to music, reading books and hanging out with friends.
Greetings.
Ana Soares (Missana-02@hotmail.com)

Hello!
My name is Fábio Silva and I am 15 years old. I am tall and slim and I have got brown hair and brown eyes. I am from Fradelos, in Famalicão and I live with my parents. What I like most about school is …school breaks!
In my spare time I like to watch TV, listen to music, ride my bike and enjoy life. I like horror movies and sitcoms.
I have got several pets.
My favourite city is Valencia, in Spain, where I have been for several times with my family and I love it.
I hope you like Portugal!
Bye…

Hi !
My name is Andreia Azevedo and I’m 18 years old.
I’m tall and plump. I’ve got long curly brown hair and brown eyes.
I’m nice, friendly, sensitive, and responsible and I love making friends.
I live in Lousado, Vila Nova de Famalicão.
The city where I live is located in the north of Portugal.
I live with my parents and sister who is fifteen years old. In my house lives as well my pet, called FiFi. I love it!
In my free time I love shopping. I also like listening to Chill Out music, studying, going to the cinema, hanging out with my friends and reading books.
My favourite books are “I will never forget” by Lesley Pearse and “Unexpected love” by Susan Lewis.
I love the Hello Kitty doll.
See you soon!
xD

Hello!
My name is Silvia and I’m 17 years old!
I live in Ribeirão and study in Forave. I am in the last year of the course.
I’m medium height and I’ve got wavy brown hair and green eyes. I’m funny, nice, friendly and a bit shy.
In my free time, I love shopping, going to the cinema, listening to music (all types) and hanging out with friends.
My favourite subjects are biology, math and English.
This is my life!

Hi! My name is Diogo Cunha and I’m going to talk about myself.
I’m seventeen years old and I am from Lousado, a small town in the North of Portugal.
I’ve a family. I mean I have a great family! I live with my mother and my stepfather. I also have a lot of friends, they are special, they are my life, and I can’t live it without them.
Nowadays I’m in a vocational school. That school is FORAVE. FORAVE is a “mad” school because it has some crazy people (on the good sense). I’m just kidding…
Well, I’m an active boy. I like dancing, playing computer, watching TV, going to the beach with my special friends.
I think I am a “smiling” person. You can see this just by looking at me. I like to be funny. My friends say “you are crazy!”, because when I’m with them I laugh out loud!
See yah ^^

Who am I?
My name is Rogério Araújo. I was born in 1993. I’m 16 years old almost 17. I live in Vilarinho das Cambas (Vila Nova de Famalicão - Braga). It’s a nice and quiet village. I study in Forave (Lousado).

My favourite hobbies are listening to music, playing guitar, watching films and TV series, playing football and tennis and going to parties. My favourite TV series are Supernatural, Prison Break, the mentalist and C.S.I. I love Metallica, Red Hot, Franz Ferdinand, Cold Play and U2.

My name is Liane Silva.
I’m 15 years old and I’ am Portuguese. I live in Trofa with my mother, my sister and my father.
I have got blonde hair and blue eyes. I’m medium height and slim.
My school is in Lousado. I like studying in my school, and I like my class and my school friends.
In my free time, I like going for a walk with my friends and my family, doing bodyboard, watching TV, playing computer, listening to music, playing the guitar, and I also like playing football, handball and basketball very much. I also like going to the cinema and to parties.
My favourite bands are Secondhand Serenade, Simple Plan, Linkin Park, Green Day, and so on… My favourite singer is Michael Jackson, because he dances and sings very well. I love him.
My favourite food is made by my mom. I enjoy Portuguese typical food like fish, meat …

I’m Joana Pereira and live in Portugal. I was born in 1992. I’m 17 years old. I’m tall and slim. I’ve got long, blond and straight hair and brown eyes.
Vilarinho das Cambas is my village. I like living there.
I love listening to music, playing computer, surfing the net, talking with my friends on the phone, and watching TV. I like horror films and comedies.
I’m funny, polite, friendly, helpful, hard-working and responsible!

Comenius Bilateral and Multilateral Partnerships

2009-10-31T11:45:00.000-07:00

Dear all,

Here are some presentations of the students who are working on our Comenius Projects.

My name is Lucília Vieira. I live in Portugal and I study at FORAVE. I was born in 1992. I’m 17 years old. I'm small and thin. I’ve got curly brown hair and light brown eyes. I am friendly and cheerful. I love playing cards, dancing, singing, playing football and specially listening to music. My favourite movie is Monster House. My idol is Simão Sabrosa (a Portuguese football player). I’ve got a cat; its name is Fofa. Fofa is very sweet. (Patricia.vieira_20@hotmail.com)

My name is Rui Costa. I am 16 years old. I’ve got light brown hair and green eyes. I live in Ribeirão. It’s a nice town located in Vila Nova de Famalicão city. I live with my mother, father and grandmother. I study in Forave and after I will try to go to University. I can’t live without music. My favourite bands are Muse, Linkin Park and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

I love all kind of sport. My hobbies are playing guitar, swimming and being with friends. I like TV series like Supernatural, or Doctor House…I also like Comedy and Horror movies. At the weekends I like hanging out with my friends. Write me to R_costa72@hotmail.com.
See you =)

Hi!
My name is Tânia Miranda and I live in Ribeirão. I was born in 1991. I am 18 years old. I’ve got straight dark brown hair, brown eyes and round face. I’m medium-height. My village is located between Vila Nova de Famalicão and Trofa.

I love listening to music, playing computer and watching TV. I like comedy and adventure films. At the weekends I often go to the beach with my family and spend a lovely time with my friends going to the disco with them. (Tanica_miranda@hotmail.com).

Hi everybody!
I’m Pedro Maia and I live in Trofa, a city near Lousado.
I’m not a good student but I like going to school.
My school’s name is FORAVE and it is a vocational school.
I have got brown hair and brown eyes.
I like to hang out with my friends, to play football and computer games and to go out at night.
I like my best friends and with them I can make lots of crazy and funny things.
I have a normal family and I like them very much.
I’m a normal guy and I love my girlfriend.
Bye bye. (pedro_69maia@hotmail.com)

Hello!!!!
My name is Adriana Miranda. I was born in 1990. I’m 19 years old. I´ve got black hair and black eyes. I’m brunette. I’m from Cape Verde, but I live in Lousado – Braga, Portugal. I live in a small village. I don’t like living here.
My favourite hobbies are playing handball and dance. At the weekends I go running. My favourite food is rice, fish, chips and ”cachupa”. My favourite drink is Coca-Cola.
I like surfing the net, cleaning the house, watching TV and DVDs. I like comedy and adventure films. My favourite film is Titanic. I don’t like reading books. I like math and chemistry.
I like my school and teachers. I love my class and course.
I like hanging out with my boyfriend and friends. (adriana5@live.com.pt)

About me …
I’m Vítor and I’m 20 years old. I am from Portugal.
I have got brown hair and green eyes. I like to play football and I’m in a football team.
I have a lot of friends and I spend the best moments of my life with them.
I’m studying Food Quality Control at Forave and I like my class very much.
I like my family and my life.
See you some day.
Bye!

Hello!!
I'm Alexandra. I'm 17 years old. I was born in 1992. I live in Oliveira Santa Maria – Vila Nova de Famalicão. I'm a brunette. I’ve got green eyes and brown hair. I’m slim and medium height. I study in FORAVE and my course is management. In my your free time, I like dancing, singing, listening to music, hanging out with friends, meet new people and also love to perform. I love joining this kind of exchanging programs, because I like to visit and meet new people and places. My email is alexandra_lovescp@hotmail.com.

My name is Luís Martins. I was born in 1992. I’ve got short hair and dark brown eyes.
I live with my father, mother and two brothers.
I live in Trofa, in the Oporto district.
Oporto is notorious for its wine and FC Porto football team.
I'm in 11th grade and I study management.
In my spare time I play computer, watch TV and I play football. I am a scout.
I like learning new things and see new places. I love eating and sleeping. I hate cheese.
I like horror movies like Saw and I like to watch TV series. I usually watch Prison Break and Supernatural.
I like punk, rock and metal music. I like listening to Metallica, Tara Perdida, Sum 41, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Blink 182. I'm number one fan of Destros. Destros MySpace is www.myspace.com/destrosbanda
Kisses and hugs.
Luís Martins (luismiguel_martins@hotmail.com)

Hello.
My name is Ana Catarina and I live in Ribeirão, Portugal. I am 16 years old. I'm brunette and medium height.
I’ve got long dark brown hair and big dark brown eyes. I study in Forave which is a Technological School in Lousado. I am studying Food Quality Control. I’m very funny, friendly, sociable and talkative. I can say that I’m a happy teenager. In my free time I like listening to music, watching TV, playing with my cats that make me company, hanging out with my friends and family.
I love summer, camping with my friends and go out at night. I like being outdoors.At the weekends I like going to the cinema, walking on the beach to see the beautiful landscapes and going to the disco to dance and sing. These make me feel good! I hope you enjoy visiting Portugal. I hope you email me: Ana_-sousa@hotmail.com

Comenius Multilateral Partnership: "WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE HOPE WE WILL BE"

2009-10-07T15:02:00.000-07:00

Dear all,

We´ve updated our Comenius Corner with some "letters" sent by our Hungarian partners.

Here are some pictures.

Comenius Bilateral and Multilateral Partnerships

2009-09-28T16:46:00.000-07:00

We´re working on our presentations...

Comenius Multilateral Partnership “What we are, what we hope we will be”

2009-09-22T15:43:00.000-07:00

Dear all,

Here is a presentation sent by our Romanian partner.
Hope you´ll like it!

Bilateral Comenius Partnership "Europe: so far, so near"

2009-09-21T17:17:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to Lousado’s traditional festivity in honour of Santa Marinha.
For three days there were some activities which brought a lot of visitors to our village and Lousado was decorated with colourful arches and lights.
During those days, visitors had the opportunity to watch some music shows with famous singers and performances by traditional folk groups. There were also some stands that sold pastries, shoes, clothes, toys, CDs and other things and some merry-go-rounds where we spent all our money and had a great time!
The last day was dedicated to a religious procession with horses, boyscouts and people dressed up as angels, saints and other religious figures.
This annual festivity ended with an amazing firework that could be seen from the nearby villages.
We spent a lovely time there with our friends.
See ya!

Andreia, Diogo and Tiago (TG 07/10)

Comenius Corner

2009-09-21T16:22:00.000-07:00

Dear partners,

We’ve already created our Comenius Corner!
From now on all materials related with our Bilateral and Multilateral Partnerships will be exhibited there.
Here are some pictures.

Two new Comenius projects!

2009-08-31T10:22:00.000-07:00

Dear all,

Another school year is just beginning and some new European ”adventures” await us.
This year we’re going to take part in two Comenius projects!
With partners from Romania, Turkey, Italy, Bulgaria, Norway and the coordination of the Hungarian school Móra Ferenc Általános és Középiskola, we’re going to develop the Multilateral Project “What we are, what we hope we will be” which aims to set light on our students and their families daily lives and on their future expectations while trying to show a realistic picture of how their daily life can affect their future career.
“Europe: so far, so near” it’s the Bilateral project which will be coordinated by our school and with the Polish partner school Liceum Ogólnoksztalcace we´ll focus on approaching the cultural heritage and the traditions of our countries, namely our traditional festivities and customs, songs and dances, thus trying to facilitate mutual comprehension among our countries and discovering the similarities and the connections between us.
This will be a hardworking school year, but it will surely be a fruitful one!

Katalin´s farewell

2009-05-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately the four months of my Comenius Assistantship have passed, and I have to leave Forave and Portugal. These four months in Forave meant a very pleasant and important experience to me. First, I feel very lucky to have been a Comenius assistant in Forave. I think that Forave is a very special school with a warm and friendly atmosphere. Everybody in the school – teachers, students, and other employees of the school – were very helpful and friendly with me all the time, making my stay pleasant and comfortable. I have also learnt a lot of new and useful things about teaching and about the Portuguese education system. I enjoyed the lessons with Forave students a lot, and I hope they liked them as well, and that they found the lessons useful.
I am also very happy to have chosen Portugal as a partner country. Because of the hospitality and openness typical of Portuguese people I was feeling at home here. I enjoyed the diversity of many aspects of Portuguese culture, such as cuisine, architecture, music, and sports – I especially enjoyed Portuguese food and the beaches. I also took pleasure in the rich traditions of Portugal (for example, in the Carnival and in the university festivities) and in the contemporary culture of Porto (for example, I’m referring to the famous institutions such as the Casa da Música or the Serralves Museum). Therefore, I feel very happy about having the opportunity to live here for four months.
I would like to say thanks to everybody in Forave for being so hospitable and accepting, and for making my stay here pleasant, problem-free and delightful. I am glad to have met everyone, and I feel sad about leaving – I hope we will meet again sometime, maybe in Hungary!
I am wishing to all the students good luck for their final exams and training periods, and to have a great summer afterwards.
I wish good luck to everyone, and I hope that I will hear about you soon!

Hungarian-Portuguese Day (29 April 2009)

2009-05-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

During the Semana Aberta (the ‘Open Week’) of Forave one day was dedicated to the cultural exchange between Hungary and Portugal. Thanks to the hard work of the students and professors of FORAVE, the school gym was turned into an exhibition hall of Hungarian and Portuguese culture.

Walls were covered by huge flags, and traditional music filled the air. The tables were covered by delicious Hungarian and Portuguese gastronomic specialities, prepared with the help of the students and the teachers of FORAVE.

Countless traditional Portuguese sweets and snacks were presented, such as pastéis de Belém, pão de ló, tortas de Azeitão, Jesuítas… Furthermore, various Hungarian specialities could be tasted, such as the strudel (‘rétes´), the fruit cake (‘gyumolcstorta), the Linzer cookies (‘linzerkarika’), and the Hungarian winter salami (‘téliszalámi’). Special thanks go to the students of AFC and TG 07/10 and to professor Carla and Teresa, who helped me to prepare the delicious Hungarian sweets.

We also learned traditional dances, and we played card games with Hungarian cards. Those who attended the program could also see a little photo exhibition about Hungarian culture, learn Hungarian expressions, and read brochures and books about the two countries.

My arrival and my first weeks in FORAVE

2009-03-17T18:12:00.000-07:00

Although my trip was a bit too long and complicated (my route was the following: Budapest – Vienna – Lisbon – Porto) I arrived in safety to my apartment in Porto on 30 January. I stay in a lovely apartment in the centre of the city; I love to walk around in the beautiful streets of Porto, and to be part of the city’s amazing cultural life.

I went to Lousado on the 3rd of February for the first time, and I was welcomed in a very warm way in FORAVE. Teacher Teresa – my coordinator – showed me around in the school, and she introduced to me all the teachers and employees of FORAVE during a lovely reception (I also had the chance to taste “Hungarian cookies” there).

During the first two weeks of February I made a little presentation about Hungary and about myself to all the classes of FORAVE, therefore I could meet all the students of the school. After that I started the English lessons. I enjoy the lessons very much, and for me it is a great experience to teach in FORAVE. I find the atmosphere of the school very friendly and familiar, therefore I feel lucky to be a Comenius Assistant here. I was also happy to participate in the various activities of the FORAVE, such as the Valentine’s Day Tea Party, the Carnival, and the big field trip to Lisbon.

Valentine’s Day Tea Party

Carnival

Field trip to Lisbon

I also enjoy staying in Portugal very much. I my free-time I have a lot of fun in Porto, especially when the weather is nice and sunny. Since in Hungary we have no seas, I go to the seaside as much as possible. I also like to travel around; so far I have visited the National Park of Gerês, the Carnival of Estarreja, Espinho, and Lisbon.

I am sure that the next 3 months are also going to be fabulous here!

Katalin Tarr
Comenius Language Assistant

2009-02-05T17:35:00.000-08:00

Our Comenius Language Assistant has finally arrived.

On her first day at FORAVE, Katalin Tarr met some of the students and the school staff.

During the first week of her stay, she´ll introduce herself to all our classes and answer all the questions they´re eager to make her.

After this, "real work" will begin .The Assistant will be helping the English teachers for 4 months and will also offer Hungarian and Italian classes open to local people as well as to pupils, parents and teachers.

2009-01-09T20:00:00.000-08:00

Dear partners (specially to the Finnish team),
just to show you that we also have snow in Lousado!
Today it has snowed in Lousado for the first time in 23 years!
Here are some pictures of this unforgettable day.

A new project

2008-07-28T00:30:00.000-07:00

Our Comenius Multilateral School Partnership has finished, but a new Comenius Project is beginning.

Next February, our school will have a Comenius Language Assistant from Hungry!
Here is a small presentation sent by her.

Dear FORAVE Students!
My name is Katalin Tarr. I am 25 years old, I’m from Budapest, Hungary. I study Italian Language and Literature, and American Studies at the ELTE University in Budapest. In the spring of 2009 I am going to be a COMENIUS language teaching assistant in your school.
During the assistantship, my most important task will be to improve your English skills, and I hope that we will all enjoy working together. I would like to teach English in a communicative way, focusing on the improvement of your comprehension and self-expression in English. I would like to do a lot of activities and games in connection with interesting topics, such as films and music. I hope I can also take part in the school activities and events outside of the classroom, where we can communicate in English in an informal way.
I would also like to present to you the culture of my country, Hungary, and I hope that with your help I will get to know the culture of North Portugal as well. I’m sure we will find the ways to organize some intercultural events to do that!
I’m really looking forward to meeting you, and I hope that my assistantship will be useful and pleasant for all of us!
Yours,

Katalin

Final meeting at FORAVE

2008-05-16T23:10:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, the Comenius students and teachers went for a whole day trip to Guimarães, the city where Portugal was born, Braga and Ponte de Lima, the most ancient city in Portugal.

Final Meeting at FORAVE

2008-05-16T23:00:00.000-07:00

Wednesday. A day for debating the project and for the students´ presentations about their own countries, cultures, schools and other interesting themes.

Final Meeting at FORAVE

2008-05-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

This week we had our partners visit for the final Comenius meeting.

Tuesday. First Comenius meeting at FORAVE.
The partners made a visit to the school and viewed some lessons.

The afternoon was spent in Serralves Museum of Modern Art and in Porto, the second biggest Portuguese city, where we explained some historical events and places to our partners.

Our week in IES Los Cardones, Tenerife

2008-05-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

During almost one week, Nuno and I were in Tenerife to know our Spanish Comenius partners. Well, not just the Spanish ones, but the Italian and the Finnish too.
On Monday, 21st April, we arrived in Tenerife around 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Pepe, a Spanish teacher, went to the airport to pick us up and it took us about 45 minutes to arrive to San Isidro. When we arrived, and after we ate something, we met our partners and then we went for a walk in the beach and we tried to go up the Monte Rojo, but it was so high that we couldn’t…
After that we went to Gabriela’s house where we ate something and talked for a while trying to get to know each other.
On Tuesday, we went to our new school (I.E.S Los Cardones), but we didn’t have the first class cause the teachers were on strike. In the afternoon we went for a guided tour to La Laguna and to Santa Cruz where we had lunch and did some shopping.
On Wednesday, Nuno and I went to school and before all the Comenius partners we did our presentations about our school and a healthy eating habits questionnaire. In the afternoon, some of the Spanish students took us to a nice place to have lunch and there we had a good time!
On Thursday we visited the volcano “El Teide”. It´s very beautiful and really really high. We had a guide who explained us how the volcano appeared, we saw many different types of rocks and a movie about the volcano too. We spent a very good time there. In the evening, we said goodbye to the Italian partners because they were leaving very early the following day.
On our last day in Tenerife, Friday, we went to school to say goodbye to our Spanish and Finnish friends and at midday we left the school to go to the airport.
There, we took a plane to Madrid. In Madrid, at night, we went sightseeing. Madrid is a fantastic city. We went to “Plaza Mayor” to have dinner and it was amazing! Plaza Mayor is really big and beautiful and full of people from different places!
During our last day, we visited some interesting places like Plaza Cibeles, Puerta del Sol, Palacio Real, Museo del Prado and the famous Atocha railway station. It was nice to see all these places, but it was also very tiring .
I have to say that I loved this week! The Spanish teachers and students were very nice with everybody. Everyone received us so well and was so friendly with us. It was an amazing experience! And I even met some Portuguese students in I.E.S Los Cardones!
See you in Portugal. Kisses and hugs for everyone.

Filipa and Nuno

Visiting IES Los Cardones in Tenerife

2008-04-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

Our team in Tenerife.
From left to right: Artur Passos, Teresa Santos, Nuno Moreira and Filipa Laranjeira.

Nuno and Lorenzo (his host).

Filipa and Aixa.

Nuno and Filipa´s presentations.

Some field trips....

La Laguna

El Teide

Puerto de la Cruz

Santa Cruz

Students´ presentations in Tenerife

2008-04-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

Last week our students visited the Spanish school of IES Los Cardones.

They took some presentations about FORAVE and Healthy Eating Habits.

Here is the one on eating habits.

Eating Habits

Hope you like it!

Your visit to FORAVE

2008-04-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

Dear partners,

Here are the students who will host yours during your stay in Portugal.

From left to right: João, Paulo, Jorge and Nuno.

From left to right: Andreia, Ana, João and Diogo.

See you soon!

Students´survey

2008-04-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

In order to collect some information about our students, their aims, opinions and preferences, the Comenius team decided to do a shorter version of the survey done last year.
Here it is:

We’d like you to fill in the following questionnaire in order to collect precious information about you, your future plans, your opinions about school and your tastes and preferences in general.
Your replies will be analysed together with your mates’ so as to improve communication inside school and obtain better results for all of us....

Class and course ............ Male .......... Female ......... Age ..........

PERSONAL FEELINGS, PROJECTS and GOALS
1. We ask you to describe yourself shortly. For each feature, say if it fits you or not. (Yes or No)
- I love novelties
- I am tidy
- I’m very active
- I’m a simple person
- I’m a bit introverted
- When faced with difficulties, I lose heart
- I’m successful in many things I do
- I’m worried about the future
- I mostly act on instinct, more emotionally than rationally
- I prefer working on my own rather than with others
- I am a good leader
- I’m self-confident
- I am usually quite nervous
- I’m always anxious
- I like taking risks

SOCIAL AIMS AND EXPECTATIONS
2. Everybody has some aims to achieve. Which ones are you more interested in? (Free choice)
- economic well-being
- success in profession / school
- a safe job and a decent salary
- enjoying a good reputation
- improving culture, knowledge
- having a good time, enjoying the pleasures of life
- travelling
- relaxing, resting
- spending time with friends
- taking holidays
- taking care of family, house
- having children, bringing them up
- staying with partner (boy/girl friend)
- enjoying good health
- being physically efficient
- practising sports
- being good- looking
- helping the others
- political commitment
- religious experience
- freedom from duties and ties
- setting up business on your own

3. How much do you trust each of the following institutions, groups, organizations? ( Yes,very much / enough or Little/No trust)
- scientists
- the UN
- the police
- teachers
- the army
- school
- judges / magistrates
- priests /clergymen
- industrialists
- banks
- dailies
- TV
- the radio
- political parties
- the Internet
- trademarks
- human rights associations (Amnesty, Emergency,..)
- singers / artists
- sportsmen (footballers...)
- family

4. How much do you feel part of.....?? (A lot / enough or Little / not at all)
- Your family
- Your school
- Your class
- Your group of friends
- Your town
- Your region
- Your country
- Europe
- The whole world

5. With reference to teachers, we ask you to reflect upon the following didactic skills and to express your opinion. How much do you count on a teacher’s ability to ... (Answer with “1” to “5” or “?”)
- explain well
- create interest around a subject
- make use of good quality teaching tools
- use good textbooks
- show fairness/ equity in evaluating
- pay attention to the students’ school problems
- express respect and attention to the students’ personal problems

6. Now we’d like you to express – with the same numbers - how much you generally miss these same skills in your teachers. Think well before you decide!
- explain well
- create interest around a subject
- make use of good quality teaching tools
- use good textbooks
- show fairness/ equity in evaluating
- pay attention to the students’ school problems
- express respect and attention to the students’ personal problems

Thank you very much for your cooperation!!!

Our "Eating Habits Questionnaire"

2008-04-19T01:20:00.000-07:00

Here is the questionnaire about eating habits we did.

Eating Habits Questionnaire

We’d like you to fill in the following questionnaire in order to collect some information about you and your eating habits.

Class: ___________ Male ___ Female ___ Age: __________

1. Do you have breakfast before going to school?
¨ Always
¨ Sometimes
¨ Never

2. What do you normally have for breakfast?
¨ Bread
¨ Cereals
¨ Milk
¨ Coffee
¨ Juice
¨ Yogurt
¨ Cookies
¨ Fruit
¨ Something else: ____________

3. Do you usually have a snack in the morning/ in the afternoon?
¨ Always
¨ Sometimes
¨ Never

4. How often do you eat salad or vegetables with lunch or dinner?
¨ Always
¨ Frequently
¨ Sometimes
¨ Rarely
¨ Never

5. Do you usually eat soup?
¨ Everyday
¨ 2 or 3 times a week
¨ Rarely
¨ Never

6. How many times a week do you eat fish?
¨ Everyday
¨ 2 or 3 times a week
¨ Rarely
¨ Never

7. How often do you eat fruit?
¨ Everyday
¨ 2 or 3 times a week
¨ Rarely
¨ Never

8. Do you usually have a dessert with your lunch or dinner?
¨ Always
¨ Frequently
¨ Sometimes
¨ Rarely
¨ Never

9. What do you usually have for dessert?
¨ Fruit
¨ Yogurt
¨ Cake
¨ Coffee
¨ Something else: ________

10. What do you drink at meals?
¨ Water
¨ Wine
¨ Juice
¨ Tea
¨ Something else: _________

11. How frequently do you eat at fast food restaurants?
¨ Never
¨ 2 or 3 times a week
¨ Almost everyday
¨ Everyday

12. Do you use food supplements to complete your diet?
¨ Yes
¨ No

13. Do you think you have healthy eating habits?
¨ Yes
¨ No

Thank you for your cooperation and don’t forget to have a healthy diet!

TG 07/10

Preparing our visit to Tenerife

2008-04-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

Filipa and Nuno are going to visit IES Los Cardones next week.

Preparing their presentations....

Our Comenius team in Finland

2008-04-14T00:45:00.000-07:00

João and Ricardo with the Spanish students.

Carlos Paiva and José Ramalhoto with the Spanish teachers.

Our trip

2008-04-14T00:30:00.000-07:00

On Monday, the 31st March, it was the start of a new adventure for Ricardo and I, because we arrived in Finland for a visit to our Finnish Comenius Partners.
At the airport in Porto we saw many people from different countries and we had a good time doing some “explorations” and taking a lot of pictures. In the plane we saw the most incredible landscapes and everything was so beautiful.
When we arrived in Helsinki, it was a pleasure to meet teacher Harri and the two girls that “adopted” us in their families. The houses were pretty, big and warm.
In the following days we got to know the school, met some students and teachers too. We did a presentation about ourselves and about the work done by our students to the Comenius project.
The Finnish school is different from our school. It has a classroom for each school subject, like “hotel services”, “good habits”, German, religion and other subjects like the ones we have in Portugal (mathematics, English, music…).
During our stay in Finland we visited some museums, churches, a castle, a forest (National Park), some ancient places, we saw the President’s house, the court, some shopping malls…. a different culture. The Finnish are very different from the Portuguese, they are open-minded, the way they look is different, they have a good quality of life, they eat many times a day and have healthy eating habits (they eat a lot of vegetables), but they also eat too many chocolates and gums. But the Finnish have a thing in common with the Portuguese: they are a warm and welcoming people.
We had also the chance to taste Finnish food and to experiment some Finnish habits like sauna, riding horses, snow fights, bowling, some Finnish games… And of course we had the possibility to communicate in English, to discover another country, to be in contact with new people, to learn more about many different subjects.
The weather was cold; the most part of the Finnish people is blond and has green or blue eyes. The city where we stayed in had some green spaces and we could see reindeers, deers, rabbits walking in the streets and in the houses. The Finnish people don’t eat rabbits because in Finland they are pets.
We loved the entire Comenius group. The Finnish people are as nice and as funny as the Spanish people.
It was a fantastic trip and having new friends it’s great! It was a good experience, it was positive and nice.
To celebrate our farewell we had a party in Annu’s house and in the last day it was so hard to say goodbye! We didn’t cry but in our hearts we felt something strong and strange, it was really difficult.
So, we wish to meet you all again. A big kiss and a big hug to all of you! We already miss you so much!
See you in Portugal. Bye.

João Mota and Ricardo Vieira

Self-Esteem Questionnaire: analysis by the Comenius team

2008-04-04T18:15:00.000-07:00

The following is the analysis of a survey that was done as a part of a Multilateral Comenius School Partnership project. The questionnaire aimed to analyse and compare the self-esteem levels shown by the Portuguese students with the ones shown by the students from Finland, Spain and Italy. The questionnaire included a total of 36 questions regarding the evaluation of self-esteem and was organized by the Italian school Istituto Tecnico Commerciale, Turistico e per Geometri "Enrico Mattei" in Decimomannu, Sardinia, and translated to Portuguese by the Portuguese project coordinators.
It is important to say that 60 male students answered the survey, which corresponds to 61% of the total students surveyed, and that 38 female students also did it, which corresponds to a rate of 39% of the total students involved in this survey. The students´ average age was 17 years old and they were all students at FORAVE.
In what concerns the analysis of the results it’s possible to conclude that the average score of the 98 students is placed in a high self-esteem level (average = 53). Looking at the results of the 38 female students, 36,8% have high self-esteem levels, 47,4% have average self-esteem levels and 15,8% have low self-esteem levels. Regarding the 60 male students, we can say that 76,7% have high self-esteem levels, 21,7% have average self-esteem levels and that 1,6 % have low self-esteem levels.

It must be stressed that these results aren’t a faithful picture and that they only represent trends. Nevertheless, this survey was important because it made our students realize the importance of being able to evaluate themselves in a positive way and of considering the self-esteem as a temporary psychological condition, that is to say, a condition that can be changed so that it can influence all their actions at school and with their families.

Self-Esteem Questionnaire

2008-04-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the Self-Esteem Questionnaire answered by our students...

SELF-ESTEEM QUESTIONNAIRE

Following you’ll find some situations you could have found yourself or you’ll maybe have to cope with. You should evaluate them according to your personal experience.

0 means “Doesn’t correspond to my personal experience”
1 means “Hardly ever corresponds to my personal experience”
2 means “2 out of 3 doesn’t correspond to my personal experience”
3 means “2 out of 3 corresponds to my personal experience”
4 means “It usually corresponds to my personal experience”
5 means “It definitely corresponds to my personal experience”

1.I sometimes think that I’m not fun to be with
2.I often don’t feel to be accepted and appreciated even by those who know
me well
1.I’m not sure of what doing or saying when I’m together with people I don’t know well
2.I can hardly see other people’s qualities
3.I often feel to be a too shy guy, even if I don’t look like that to other people’s eyes.
4.People don’t like me if they don’t know me well
5.Even if I try to trust more my own capacities, I’m always afraid to deal with new situations
6.I’m worried about censures and observations about me
7.I don’t think I’m a creative person.
8.I often put off my job/school engagements.
9.I find it difficult to express my opinions when they are different from other people’ones
10.When I look at myself in the mirror, I don’t like me
11.When someone pays a compliment to me, I get amazed, I can’t believe it.
12.I find it difficult to accept and cope with my errors
13.My friends rarely appreciate my ideas or accept my proposals
14.I’m a too highly strung person
15.In occasion of important events I’ve always felt alone.
16.Other people see me as in introverted guy
17.Among other people, at work/school, with my friends I’m often not at ease.
18.When something goes wrong in my life, I think it’s because of ill-luck
19.It’s difficult to say what I think.
20.There are many things I’d like to change in myself.
21.I lack “common sense”.
22.I try to conceal some parts of my body.
23.I often feel to be left outside the group
24.I’d change my look if I could.
25.I try to face clashes and contrasts.
26.I don’t trust me very much.
27.I sometimes do things just to please the others more than myself
28.I’ve always thought that my parents don’t like the way I am
29.I’ve sometimes suffered because of unexpected frustrations
30.When other people are kind with me I become suspicious
31.I can’t understand what teachers expect from me
32.I try to fulfil an engagement carefully
33.When I’m not able to do something I often think that I couldn’t have done better.
34.I sometimes feel uncomfortable when I’m in physical contact, even with known people

You total score is______________

If your score is between 30 and 70, you’ve got a high self-esteem level.
You’re satisfied of the life you’re living and the choices you have done. You have got a very good “image of yourself”; you express to other people your “uniqueness”, accepting the risk to look different. Your job/studies gratify you and this allows you to invest creatively your energies to achieve new goals.

If your score is between 71 and 110, you’ve got an average self-esteem level.
You have got a good self-esteem level, even though the new situations make you fell ill at ease. You are aware of your strong points and positive features, but you find it difficult to accept your weaknesses. At school/work you are very appreciated for your capacities but you don’t accept with pleasure other people’s advices and proposals.

If your score is between 111 and 160, you’ve got a low self-esteem level.
You often feel to be of no worth, you’re critical with yourself, and often use negative statements to describe yourself. New situations get you frightened, you start thinking that you won’t be able to cope with them and this fills you with concern. When studying/working you often lack power of concentration and this prevent you to come to the end of an activity. The relationship with your teachers/head clerks is often marked by defiance and rebellion.

Our students in Finland

2008-04-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

João and Ricardo with the Finnish colleagues.

Sightseeing in Helsinki...

Visiting Veikkolan Koulu, in Veikkola

2008-04-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

This week our students are visiting our Finnish partner.

Here are the presentations they took.

Sports in Portugal
Our Sports
Xutos e Pontapés
Da Weasel
Nelly Furtado

Hope you like them!

Some more self-portraits by TEAI 06/09

2008-03-26T23:00:00.000-07:00

Hi! My name is Abilio Azevedo and my nickname is Bilinho. I am fifteen years old. I am thin and not very tall. I have got blue eyes and my face is oval. My eyes are blue and my hair is short and brown. I am very obstinate, happy and extroverted. My favourite animal is the snake. I haven’t a favorite flower but maybe the rose, and my favourite fruit is the apple. I love riding a bicycle, playing computer and playing football. I think I play football very well. Sometimes I help my parents. I live in a village called Vilarinho das Cambas. My Portuguese hero is Cristiano Ronaldo. I think the Portuguese are very happy, clean and very hospitable.

I am Jorge Filipe Oliveira da Silva. My nickname is Sardine. I’m 15 years old. My favourite animal is the goldfish. I can play the guitar and I love doing it. In my free time I play football, ride my bicycle and read. I don’t like to study or to clean the house. I live in Trofa. My Portuguese hero is Vasco da Gama who found out the way, by sea, to India.

I am Miguel Machado. I’m 16 years old. I am average height. I have got brown eyes and short spiky black hair. My face is a little round but just a little and my nose and my mouth are normal.
I think I’m like a scorpion, because that’s my Zodiac sign.
I’m intelligent, talkative; sociable, sweet and my teachers say I’m a little lazy but I don’t think so. I like playing computer games, playing handball, SLEEPING, going out with my friends, watching TV, …I don’t like noisy people, rainy days, WORK,… I live in V.N.Famalicão. My Portuguese hero is an actor called Ruy de Carvalho.

I am Vitor Barbosa and my nickname is Vita. I am 15 years old. I have green eyes and black hair. I think I am intelligent and sociable. My favourite animal is the cat. My favourite hobbies are playing football and computer games. I am from Vila Nova de Famalicão.

My name is Fábio Costa and I am 15 years old. My eyes and my hair are brown. I love playing football, riding my bicycle, reading and playing computer games. I don’t like to study. My Portuguese hero is D. Afonso Henriques.

I am Filipe Faria. I’m 17 years old. I am romantic, friendly and funny. I love playing football and computer games. I also like to watch TV, especially programs about sports. My favourite sport is football. I live in Ribeirão. My Portuguese heroes are Cristiano Ronaldo, Figo and Deco.

My name is Filipe Castro and I am fifteen years old. I am thin and average height. I am shy and friendly. My favourite animal is the dog. I like playing football, riding my bike and watching TV.
I live in a village called Lousado. My hero is Cristiano Ronaldo.

Hi! I am Ricardo Pinto and I am 15. I have short hair and brown eyes. The animal that suggests my personality is the lion because it always searching for its prey I am always fighting for my dreams. My hobbies are riding my bicycle and playing computer games. My Portuguese hero is José Mourinho.

My nickname is João Azevedo and my nickname is Batas. I’m 15 years old. I like playing football, watching TV, riding my motorcycle and playing computer games. I like sports very much. My favourite sports are basketball and football.
I live in Vilarinho das Cambas. My Portuguese heroes are Cristiano Ronaldo, Figo and Deco.

I am Joni Duarte and my nickname is JOJO. I am seventeen years old. I am romantic, nice and intelligent. I like playing football, swimming, listening to music, playing computer games, watching TV and horse riding. I live in Trofa.

My name is Flávio Ribeiro. I’m fifteen years old. My eyes are brown and my hair is also brown. My favourite animal is the lion, my favourite flower I do not know very well but maybe it is the rose. In my free time I like to sleep, to play computer games, to play football and to help my parents. I live in Trofa. My Portuguese hero is D. Afonso Henriques (The conquer), the first King of Portugal.

My name is Vitor Santos. I am 16 years old. The animal that suggests my personality is the dog because it is the man’s best friend. I spend the most part of my day at school with my colleagues and friends, but in my free time I like to go for a walk with my parents or with my friends and to play computer games. I live in V.N. Famalicão. My Portuguese hero is Cristiano Ronaldo.

I am André Ramos and I am 17 years old. I have got black hair and brown eyes. My greatest quality is to be nice. My greatest skill is riding. My favourite hobbies are to ride, to play computer and to be with my friends. I live in Famalicão.

My friends call me Toni, but my real name is António. I’m 18 years old. I’m average height and well-built. I have got brown eyes and short spiky black hair. I am intelligent, talkative, sociable and a bit lazy. I love playing computer games and football. I live in V.N.Famalicão in a nice flat with my parents and my brother. In my opinion the Portuguese are clean and natural.

My name is André Gonçalves and I am 15. I have got blonde hair and blue eyes. My quality is to be a good friend of my friends. In my free time I watch TV, go for a walk with my friends and I ride my bike. I live in Lousado and here we have a traditional festival called “Romaria Nova“.

Hello! I am Rui Azevedo. I am fifteen years old. I am tall and well-built. My eyes and my hair are black and my face is oval.
I am cheerful and funny. My favourite hobbies are playing computer games, watching TV and playing football. I live in a town called Ribeirão that is near my school.

I am Filipe Daniel Araújo Clemente and I am eighteen years old. I am tall and thin. My hair is curly and long and my eyes are green. I am friendly, funny and lazy. I like to play football, basketball and computer games. I also love to watch TV and to listen to music. I live Trofa, a city near my school. My heroes are my family.

Hello! My name is Bruno Alves. I’m fifteen years old. I’m tall and thin. I have got brown eyes and brown hair. My nose is round and my mouth is big. An animal that suggests my personality is the horse because it is strong, courageous and beautiful. I like sleeping, swimming and playing playstation. I don’t like reading. I usually go swimming on Wednesdays and Saturdays. I’m good on ICT. I live in country (Portugal) with about 10 millions of people. It is a country where we have peace but with a poor economy. My Portuguese heroes are Vasco da Gama, who discovered Índia, and Luís de Camões, who wrote “OS LUSÍADAS”.

Self-portraits: TPQA 06/09

2008-03-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

I am Ana Moreira and I’m 17 years old.
My eyes are brown. My hair is straight, long and brown.
I’m tall and well built.
I think the animal that suggests my personality is a puppy, because it is sensitive and faithful. I am also very friendly and I protect my friends.
My hobbies are playing computer, going for a walk with my friends and listening to music. I hate reading.
I am from Ribeirão, a small city near my school.

My name is Joana Pereira. I am 15 years old and I am tall and well built. My eyes and my hair are brown. I am cool and friendly. I love cats and my favourite colour is rose. I like listening to music, playing computer and reading. I also like swimming and playing basketball.I live in Vilarinho das Cambas and I study in Lousado.

I am Silvia Santos. I am 15 years old and I am tall. I have greenish almond-shaped eyes and dimples. My hair is long, wavy and brown.
I think the lion is the perfect animal to describe myself, because I have a strong personality and the lion is the king of the jungle. I am also smart, polite, impatient …
My favourite hobbies are to spend some time with my friends, to listen music, to go to the cinema, to read, to sleep! I also like surfing on the internet ….
I live in Ribeirão and I study in Lousado.
In Ribeirão we don’t have many festivals and places to spend some time. So when we want to go out, we go to other places!
I think my favourite Portuguese hero is D. Afonso Henriques, because thanks to him Portugal is a free country.

Hello! I´m Ana Catarina Sousa and I am 15. I am average height and slim. I have got medium-length wavy dark hair. My face is oval, my eyes are small, almond-shaped and brown and my nose is small. I usually wear jeans, sweaters and coats.
My favourite pet is the cat because it is very friendly and sociable – like me. I have four cats. I can say that I am happy, generous, sociable, very talkative, friendly, honest and lazy too. I love my family, my friends, my cats and I like sleeping. My favourite colours are blue and pink. My favourite music is “When you’re gone” and my favourite singer is Avril Lavigne. I have got a good relationship with the people in my school and with my family.

I love to dance, to sleep and to be with my friends. In my free time I like watching TV, listening to music, playing computer games and going for a walk with my friends or alone. I like jogging and playing football in my street.
I live in Ribeirão in a small street, but the people are very good. They are very generous, sociable, talkative, friendly and honest.

My name is Vânia Batista, but my friends call me Vaninha. I’m nineteen years old. My eyes and my hair are brown. My favourite animal is the butterfly and my favourite flower is the tulip. I like going out with my friends and my boyfriend and talking with my parents. I live in an apartment in V.N. Famalicão.

My nickname is Bia, but my real name is Bianca Silva. I’m fifteen years old. I have got short straight brown hair. My face is oval, my eyes are small and brown and my nose is also small. My favourite pet is the cat and I have six of them. I am sociable, talkative, honest and lazy.
I love house music, to sleep and to be with my friends.

You can call me Xapinho, my nickname. My real name is Ricardo Gomes. I am 16 years old. My favourite animal is the dog and my favourite symbol is a star. I am friendly and fun. My hobbies are riding a motorcycle, listening music, watching TV and playing football. I live in Lousado (V.N. Famalicão). My hero is a Cristiano Ronaldo because he is a good football player.

I am Ricardo Marques and I am 15 years old. My favourite hobbies are playing football, playing computer and watching TV. I live in Vilarinho das Cambas, Vila Nova Famalicão.
My Portuguese hero is José Cid because he sings very well!

I’m Rui Meira. I am 15 years old. I have got black hair and my eyes are brown. My favourite animal is the dog because it is nice and beautiful. I like playing football, playing computer, watching and going out with my friends. My Portuguese hero is Quaresma because he plays football very well.

Hi! I am Susana Araújo. My friends call me Su. I am 16 years old. My eyes are green and I’ve got curly blond hair. I am intelligent and very amusing. My hobbies are dancing and going out with my friends.

I am Simão Costa and I am 15 years old. I have got black hair and brown eyes. My favourite colour is black and my favourite animal is the fish. I like listening to music, swimming… I live in Ribeirão. My Portuguese hero is Cristiano Ronaldo.

My nickname is Jinha and my real name is Patricia. I am 15 years old. I have greenish eyes and short curly brown hair. My favourite animal is the dog, because it is sweet, faithful and they are the man best friend.
My hobbies are playing football, listening to music, watching TV, going out with my friends, watching Benfica football games and watching Atlético de Madrid games because Simão Sabrosa is playing there. I love Simão Sabrosa because he plays very well.
I live in Trofa and my hometown is Santo Tirso.

Hello! My name is Vitor Varela. Vitó for my friends.I am 20 years old. I am slim and medium height. My eyes are green and my hair is short and brown.
My hobbies are playing football, listening to music, going out at night with my friends, and sleeping.
I am from Calendário, in V. N. Famalicão. My favorite heroes are Cristiano Ronaldo, Vitor Baía and Domingos. All of them play football.

TG 06/09: some more self-portraits.

2008-03-25T02:00:00.000-07:00

Hi. My name is Cidália Rodrigues and I am sixteen years old. I am from Ribeirão, V. N. Famalicão, Portugal. I was born on 12th April 1991.
I’m short and plump. I have got long wavy blond hair. My eyes are almond-shaped and brown. I usually wear jeans, t-shirt and tennis. I am helpful, polite, shy, responsible, amusing, hard-working…
My favourite animal is the dog, because it is funny. Pink is my favourite colour, because it is a colour that calms me. My favourite fruits are chestnuts, cherries, strawberries and tangerines.
My favourite symbol is the eagle, because it is the one of my favourite football team – Benfica. I love listening to music, playing to football and watching TV. My favourite sport is football. My favourite food is chicken and potatoes and my favourite drink is coca-cola. My favourite subjects are maths, economics, calculus and law. My favourite singers are Enrique Iglesias, Avril Lavigne, Shakira, Timbaland and Beyoncé.

My name is Filipa Laranjeira and my nickname is Lipa.
I’m 16 years old. I’m average height and plump. My hair is medium-length and dark! I’ve got almond shaped brown eyes and a small hooked nose.
My mouth is small and my face is oval. I usually wear jeans, a t-shirt and training shoes.
If a could be an animal I would choose a bird, cause I love freedom!
I think that I am a good friend of my friends.
I consider myself a nice and very funny person, cause I love parties.
In my free time I usually go out with my friends. I like watching TV, cause sometimes there are good programs.
I spend a lot of time on the internet (messenger, hi5, youtube, etc).
I also like sports. In fact, physical education is one of my favourite subjects, besides English.
I love shopping too!
I live in Lousado. It’s a calm village. I like living here, because big towns are so noisy!
I prefer living in a small village.
I think that I don’t have a Portuguese hero. I like some Portuguese singers and actors, but I don’t think they are perfect.
A hero, to me, it’s my dad, because I learn a lot with him.

I am João Pedro, but my friends call me Mota.I am 18 years old. I am medium height and thin. My hair is short and dark. I have got almond-shaped brown eyes. I have got a small nose and my mouth is small and smiling. I usually wear jeans, t-shirt and training shoes.
I’m intelligent, funny, sociable, helpful, talkative, friendly, ambitious, hard-working, amusing, sometimes lazy and impatient, but on the other hand I am strong, honest and amusing.
The animal that suggests my personality is the dolphin because it is a very peaceful and funny animal.
My hobbies are going out with my friends, listening to music, practicing a little sport, dancing and singing. I like volleyball, playing computer and to spend some time with animals.
I live in Lousado which belongs to the county of Famalicão. There is a roman monument (“Ponte da Lagoncinha”) and every year we have a religious party called “Romaria Nova”.
My Portuguese heroes are Vasco da Gama and D. Afonso Henriques – the first Portuguese King.

I am Cristina Couto. I’m sixteen years old. I’ve got long brown straight hair and brown eyes. My favourite colors are blue and green, because they are the colors of nature. I’m intelligent, happy, generous, helpful, sociable, patient, polite, friendly, honest …I’m from Ribeirão. I love the sun and the ocean.
My favourite hobbies are playing computer, listening to music and reading. My favourite Portuguese singers are Michael Carreira, Valentino, Anjos, Andre Sardet, Tony Carreira, 4 Taste, … and my favourite Portuguese actors are Rita Pereira, Diogo Morgado, Alexandra Lencastre, António Pedro Cerdeira and Daniela Ruah.

Self-portraits: some more texts written by our TG 07/10 students.

2008-03-10T16:46:00.000-07:00

My name is Daniela Sá and my nickname is Dani.
I’m fifteen years old. I’m short and plump. I have got short curly brown hair. My eyes are round, small and brown.
I identify myself with a red rose, because I’m beautiful and I love red.
In my free time I like playing computer, dancing, watching TV, riding my bike and listening to music. I also like going shopping, going to the cinema and hanging out with my friends.
I don’t like studying because it is boring but I know I have to.
I live in Vila Nova de Famalicão, in Portugal.
I think that Portugal has many positive aspects like the landscapes, the monuments and the people.
My national hero is Luiz Vaz de Camões because he is one of the most important Portuguese poets.

I am Diogo Cunha. I’m fifteen years old. My hair is normal, brown and with a punk haircut. I’ve green eyes. I usually wear jeans, t-shirts, training shoes and sports jackets.
The animal that suggests my personality is the louse because it is an animal that doesn’t let something go, after grabbing it. I’m like it because when I want a thing I don’t stop to fight until I have it.
My hobbies are dancing, playing computer, watching TV, going out and going to the cinema and to the beach. I also like hanging out with my friends and having fun with them. When I’m with my friends I laugh out loud!
I live in Lousado, not far away from my school. I live in a detached house. My favourite room is my bedroom because it is where I’ve my things. It’s my property.
I don’t have any heroes because I live my life with my own rules! I don’t need to be like someone else! I have friends, I’m happy. I’ve my own personality and that’s it!
Be yourself. Bye!

Hi! My name is Andreia Azevedo. My friends call me Pi. I’m sixteen years old. I’m tall and plump. I have got lovely long curly brown hair. My eyes are round, big and brown. My favourite colour is black. Besides being my favourite colour, it is also the colour that makes me feel good. It is the colour of darkness; the ugly colour that not all people like. For me everything could be painted in black. I’m a sad, bad–humored, boring and crying person, but at the same time I’m friendly, responsible, polite, honest and hard-working. I like honest and sincere people and I hate liars.In my free time I love going for a walk or going shopping.I like to listen to Punk and Rock music, to study, to go to the cinema, to be with by boyfriend and to watch TV. I don’t like reading.
I live in Lousado, in V.N. Famalicão – Portugal. Lousado is in the north of Portugal and has few inhabitants. I like to live here but I would prefer living in a big city like London. However, living here has some advantages, like having good schools, means of public transportation, shopping-malls, etc. Nevertheless, it also has some disadvantages, like pollution and also being a small city.
In Lousado we usually celebrate Stº António, which is a traditional festivity.

Self-portraits: some texts written by our TEAC students

2008-03-05T08:24:00.000-08:00

Hello! My name is Daniel Ferreira, but my friends call me Ferreira. I’m medium height and thin. I have got brown hair and brown eyes. I’m very responsible. I think I’m a good student. I like dogs…..I like playing football and playing computer games…and many more things… I love Benfica (a Portuguese football team). I live in Ribeirão – Famalicão. My heroes are my father and my mother….Cristiano Ronaldo, Timon and Pumba….

I am Paulo Santos. I am 16 years old. I am medium height and well-built. I have got short straight brown hair. A symbol that suggests my personality is the bike. My favourite hobby is riding my bike. I like playing football and computer games, too. I live in Trofa, a small city near Porto (the second largest Portuguese city).

My name is Ricardo Vieira and my nickname is
Kennypt. I’m 17, I’m tall and thin. My eyes are brown. I spend most of my time listening to music, watching TV, surfing on the net or in sports like football, volleyball and "powerizer".
I live in Trofa which is a small town close to Oporto.
The best thing about Trofa is that there are some musical events, and the bad thing is that Trofa is very small.
I have heroes in different areas. So, in TV & Movies, Joaquim de Almeida and Manuel de Oliveira. In what concerns music I like Men Eater, Xutos e Pontapés, José Afonso. Regarding sports, my heroes are Figo, Pedro Lamy, João Garcia, Rui Silva, Francis Obikwelu, Vanessa Fernandes, Joaquim Agostinho,Vasco Uva, Tarzan Taborda and Carlos Sousa.

Hi! I am Eduardo Sousa. My nickname is Xpto_18.
I am 16 years old. My eyes are brown and my hair is dark brown.
My hobbies are playing video games (Football manager 2008 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2008) and cards.
I live in V. N. Famalicão, in Portugal. My Portuguese heroes are José Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Figo, Luís de Camões, and Pinto da Costa.

Hello! I am Ricardo Cruz. My nickname is Chocolate.
I’m a 16 years old.
I have brown hair and brown eyes!
An animal that suggests my personality is the dog, because “the dog is the best friend of man”.
In my free time I watch TV, listen to music, surf on the net… and many other things.
I live in Fradelos, Vila Nova de Famalicão. A small village but I like to live there.
My Portuguese heroes are Cristiano Ronaldo, Luís de Camões, Cavaco Silva, Vasco da Gama, and many more…

Valentine's Day at FORAVE

2008-02-18T09:03:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday our school organised a St. Valentine’s event which included a theatre play and a delicious Five o’clock tea.
“Romeo and Juliet”, Shakespeare’s most famous play, was updated and set in our modern-day village of Lousado. The students re-wrote the dialogues and the sets were done in their vocational school subjects.
Our students´ impressive performance was followed by a tea, served by the first year classes in the schoolyard and there the main stars were the delicious scones especially made by the students for the occasion.

Students' presentations

2008-01-24T04:03:00.000-08:00

We think Harri´s idea of writing a blog is nice …and inspiring.
That’s why we have decided to have one too!

Our Comenius work group is bigger than the Finnish one. We are working with five classes… 39 girls and 66 boys! All the students are eager to meet the partner students and to have you visiting our school.

Here are their presentations.
Turma TPQA
Turma TG07
Turma TG06
Turma TEAI
Turma TEAC

Now, this is the part we talk about the wonders (more than seven) we have in our country: the warm and welcoming people, the beautiful green landscapes, the white beaches, the majestic monuments, the delightful typical food, the modern cities, and ... the weather!

Yes, dear partners… it’s January, but the sun is shining and the temperature reaches 17º C!

Here are some sunny pictures to light up your dark days!

Greetings to you all.