Remember the Grinch, that memorable char-acter from the classic children’s story by Dr.

Seuss? He had a heart that “was two sizes too small,” and he hated everything about Christmas. However, by the end of the story he undergoes a transformation where he discovers that there is more to Christmas than presents and colourful decorations. Perhaps the Grinch’s story is so memorable because, if we are honest with ourselves, we may be able to relate to him at some level. Who among us has not noticed the commercialization and even the greed of the Christmas season? Who hasn’t felt overwhelmed by the stress of finding gifts or the pressure of packed calendars with meals and events? Psychologists even say that during this season of cheer and good-will, many feel sorrow and depression. If we look for what is wrong with the Christmas season, we surly will find it. So, like the Grinch, we can complain and moan, becoming cold and cynical about what we see around us. But, if we look for the good, we can see this time of year from a different perspective. The Grinch saw the good in Christmas when he learned to look past its worldly trappings. If we too, do the same, we can, with the Grinch, proclaim: “Maybe Christ-mas………doesn’t come from a store.

Maybe Christmas…….perhaps……means a little bit more!” Our hearts may not grow three sizes as the Grinch’s did, but our hearts will change. Our eyes will be open to the wonders and miracles around us – at Christmas time and in fact, throughout the year. Evidence, and testimony to this, is the pupils and our colleagues who we work with on a daily basis. All their activities and achievements continue to highlight how impressive our pupils are with the energy, talent, enthusiasm and commit-ment they bring to our lives and our School, and how dedicated our staff is. Every day we continue to be inspired by our pupils and colleagues and all that they do together to make PASCAL English School, Lemesos special, unique and out-standing. We thank you all for your support and enthusiasm. We wish you all a peaceful and happy Christmas. Best wishes, Ms J. Rigas and Ms M. Ehrhartsmann

Headmistresses

THE WONDER OF CHRISTMASTHE WONDER OF CHRISTMAS

Editors’ NoteEditors’ Note Can you feel it yet? December is a month in which we always sense a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ in the air. It could be due to the to brisk cold weather, the homely feeling we get sitting next to the warm fire or even the anxiety of what the New Year will bring. The festive season has begun and here at PASCAL English School, Lemesos both pupils and teachers recall with great enthusiasm and nostalgia all that has occurred during our first academic semester. It is with pride that we can boast of our pupils’ achievements and extracurricular activities throughout this semester and with delight

produce this edition for everyone in the PASCAL family to see and enjoy. As Editors of this year’s newspaper we would like to thank each and every pupil, parent and teacher who helped to create this Christmas edition to honour our pupils’ hard work and effort throughout the semester. Ms M. Achilleos, Ms C. Mariou, Ms L. Codd

PLATINUM NEWS

December 2012

Most of you may wonder who the 6A pupils with the ‘cool’

badges are, a n d w h a t

they’re doing standing every morning at the entrances. You are most probably referring to out school’s prefects. A team of 8-10 seniors chosen, after a trial period, by teachers. What do prefects do? Our du-ties include making sure that all school rules are imple-mented and every school day runs smoothly. We check uni-form daily, attend and help

organize school events. We try our best to become exam-ples for the rest of the pupil body and be there to help at any time with anything. Despite the immense signifi-cance being a prefect has on a pupil’s personal statement, proving you have all the use-ful qualities the universities seek in terms of responsibility and punctuality goes, you also get the prestige of wear-ing the “cool badge”

My advice is that you should all try and do your best to be one of the prefects of your

year when the time comes. After all you will be surprised to find out who becomes a perfect prefect.

P A G E 2

Big Brother, Big SisterBig Brother, Big Sister

PREFECTSPREFECTS

met we had the chance to introduce ourselves to each other and learn about each other’s interests and hobbies. Whenever they have a prob-lem they know that they can always rely on me and I will always be available to them whenever they need me to answer any of their ques-tions. Also, it is important to be friends with them. It’s good for them to know that we are friends and that we can spend time together during school breaks. My sisters are adorable, I really care about them and I hope that I am a good example for

t h e m . Generally every pupil from Year 6 should be an excellent example towards the pupils of Y e a r 1 . E a c h b i g brother/sister should help his/her younger brother or sister and act as they would normally be around their real brothers and sisters. In my opinion, this is a great idea since in most cases it works out and helps the younger pupils to feel more confident around the school and the rest of the pupils, as well as helping them to get useful information.

For the last two years, our school has given the opportunity to

the younger pupils of

Year 1 to have a ‘brother or a sister’ from Year 6 in order to help them adapt to a new school. Firstly each pupil from Year 6 is allowed to have 2 or 3 brothers or sisters. Usu-ally boys have a brother and girls have a sister. This year, as a Year 6 pupil, I have two sisters to take care of. Their n a m e s a r e M a r i a Hadjisavva and Eleni Skordi and we have a really good relationship. When we first

“Its not the days

in your life you'll

remember, it's the

memories.”

P L AT I NU M N E W S

It’s NOT just about the badge!!

Useful tips to be a prefect

Maintain discipline. Prefects are able to assist teachers by helping

them to enforce the rules and regula-tions of the school.

Help staff. Being a Prefect is one of the most prestigious roles a pupil can have at school. You work with teach-ers to create a better environment to learn, and a mature, helpful prefect

will be trusted. Support younger pupils.

Knowing that there are Prefects will-ing to help is very reassuring to

newer pupils, and they will count on them to live up to their expectations

as someone that can help them. Be approachable.

Offering help to those that might need it, is better than waiting to be

asked, and more often than not your advice will be taken up

appreciatively. Be involved.

Prefects are given a lot of responsi-bility in the form of organizing and

assisting with events for parents and pupils of the school. This role en-hances your profile and impresses

teaching staff. In addition it puts you in good stead for the future. Universi-ties and employers are keen to see examples of people that have been

involved in voluntary school activities. Practice good communication

skills. The key is to be approachable,

whether it is to pupils, parents, or visitors. The steps above require communication to be clear and

confident. Enjoy it!

Many new pupils are very impressionable, and meeting a confident, helpful prefect can be

something they will remember when they apply for the position in years to

come.

SOPHIA AGATHOU 6A

MARIA AVERKIOU 6A

C H RI ST MA S 2 012 P A G E 3

Effective Study Skills WeekEffective Study Skills Week

Apollo Mini-football Tournament

During Effective Study Skills Week, which took place from 2nd- 5th October, teachers at PASCAL English School had the essential task of promoting effective ways of studying.

During this week, in each form period, teach-ers guided pupils, through different ap-proaches, to study in a more efficient and

timely manner. Skills that were emphasized included the correct and effective use of homework diaries, healthy eating and exer-cise to promote healthy bodies and minds, the study environment as an important factor in pupils’ engagement in effective study with no interruptions to inhibit this, and time management to show pupils the importance of prioritizing and being efficient. The impor-tance of study materials was also emphasized to ensure that pu-pils are always equipped with the essential components for each and every lesson.

Subject teachers were also involved in Study Skills Week in a more subject related way. This helped pupils gain insight into how best to organize themselves in preparation for tests, essays and exams for that subject. In conclusion, PSHE on 30th October rounded up Effective Study Skills Week in fine style where each Form Teacher from Years 1-6 offered a double lesson on effective study skills to their respective classes. Information on Effective Study Skills by no means ends with Study Skills Week. Each teacher will continue to advise their pupils on how to study effectively and e f f i c i e n t l y throughout the school year.

The mini-football competi-tion which was organized by the house of Apollo was once again a great success. It in-spired exploding feelings of

enthusiasm and excitement.

The Upper School winner was Artemis which was followed by Poseidon, Demetra and Apollo. In Lower School, the winner was Posei-don.

No matter who the winners were, everybody had a great time. The aim of the tournament was to encourage cooperation between pupils and this was successfully accomplished!

Congratulations to the winning teams!!!

MS L. CODD ENGLISH TEACHER

“ L earning how to learn is

life's most important skill. ”

On our first club day, during the PSHE session, we had the opportunity to learn some effective study skills so we could improve our study tech-niques and consequently improve our grades. Our

teacher showed us a PowerPoint presentation which offered a variety of

techniques and recommendations for effective study. Finding a peaceful and comfortable place to study was one suggestion which I found very important. Personally I feel it is important to have a study place where no one bothers or interrupts me during my studying. By doing this you can concentrate and focus on your school subjects without external interferences. An-other point which I found useful was having a time schedule which makes you feel more

confident and also ensures that you are organ-ised and prepared for your lessons. Hence you save a lot of time and you will not have the trouble of organising yourself just before you start studying. Leaving everything for the last minute is some-thing that we should avoid as coursework, assignments and projects will pile up and even-tually pupils will have to struggle to submit these on time while at the same time deal with the stress and anxiety of their postponement. In addition, finding key words assists pupils to skim or scan a text quickly ensuring that they master their time effectively. Also note-taking is very important because pupils can later refer to their notes in order to revise for their lesson, an upcoming test or even for their final examina-tion. Memorising things you have to study for by using some acronyms or synonyms also helps to remember and recall information that was

taught in the past. As pupils we should also consider the quality of our study time. It isn’t important how long you study but the quality of your study. This means that you should be focused and not let your mind wonder. Using facebook while you are studying surely will not help your concentration level even if you have set a target to study for 4 hours.

To sum up, this information was really useful as it offered practical tips on how we can improve our study skills. I hope all the pupils adopt these techniques as it will help them during their study time. Remember, it is not the amount of time spent study-ing but how efficiently you study!

ANDREAS SAZOS 5B

The Apollo Lower school Team

Football moves

Above: Apollo Cheerleaders Right: Before the kick off

ANGELOS SAVVA 5B

P A G E 4 C H RI ST MA S 2 012

PASCAL’s Artistic Flair

Our school organised a Careers Fair which was hosted by TEPAK Uni‐versity. I believe it was a chance for us, the

youth, to realise the options that are

available and what opportunities are out there regarding employment. This was a good opportu‐nity for us to learn things so as not to be shocked when we enter the ‘real world’. In my opinion, it was brilliant due to the fact that there were professionals there to guide us if there was a specific field we were interested in. I talked to a lady who gave me a lot of information regarding forensics and in‐formed me about universities that offer this course in America.

The presentations were interesting, the first one was about a career in shipping, in which, personally I had no interest in, but it did give vital information. The second was about the survival of the fittest in current times, which showed how one can establish himself in the professional world. It offered key informa‐

tion to us for our future development as prospective professionals. The presentation regarding employment opportunities was the best one for me, because it showed how one must think and be ready to lead. The pre‐senter spoke brilliantly and

kept me enthusiastic throughout the whole presentation. The last presentation was about the European office in Cyprus; I found this presentation very interesting. The best thing is that we can get the presentation through a DVD which was prepared for us and we can also read it through our schools website (www.pascal.ac.cy). It was a great initiative from our school to organ‐ise such a fair, and even more, a great

opportunity to seek infor‐mation that would normally take long hours and research to find. I am very excited about my future

and professional route and after the Careers Fair hope‐fully I will manage to make wiser decisions regarding my elective subject choices and my degree options.

CHRISTOS SKORDIS 3A

Considering how important it is to increase awareness and inform our pupils regarding the diverse matter of careers, we decided to initiate an assorted combination of various professionals who would state their opinion therefore enlighten our pupils and their parents with regards to their fu-ture academic or professional destination.

Hopefully information was absorbed in a suc-cessful and productive approach, enabling everyone to make wise decisions on their future choices. The presentations that have been delivered can be found at our school’s webpage, www.pascal.ac.cy.

ELENI ZANTI

ORGANISER

PASCAL English School,

Lemesos choir makes us proud.

C H RI ST MA S 2 012

The Sign Lan-guage Club is very interest-ing. On Club Day, during the first les-

son, we learnt the Greek alphabet for deaf people which seemed to be hard due to the fact that I don’t speak Greek flu-ently. Slowly, I managed to spell my name. Fortunately, the Greek alphabet has similarities with the Russian alphabet so it was easy for me to spell my name after many repeti-tions. Furthermore, we learnt how

to say, “My name is…” for example, I was able to say, “ My name is Anto-nia”, but I had to touch my forehead, my ear, and

then my chest to spell my name.

I am happy with my club selection and honestly I am look-ing forward for the next Club Day and I‘m curious about what we will learn!

P A G E 5

Golf Club

Sign Language ClubSign Language Club

Drama ClubDrama Club

where the hotel is and then we went to the golf court. We were separated into two teams and each team had a different instructor. The lesson started with the basic rules of golf and then we became familiar with the different types of golf clubs. We learnt the different use of each of the golf clubs and then we used them in action by hitting balls as hard as we could. Of course, most of us took off chunks of grass instead of hitting the ball but after a lot of effort all of us succeeded in hitting at least one ball. The instructor was superb and had an excellent sense of humour. We had a fantastic time there and we can’t wait to go again on the next Club Day.

This year I am in the Golf Club which takes place at Aphrodite

Hills. After the first two periods, we went to our class which the Golf Club members had to be in order to leave the school for our club. Mr. Palamas came in and informed us about the hotel’s rules and regula-tions and then we got into the bus.

When we arrived there we explored the place

“Education is

more than just

lessons at

school!”

Media Club On Club Day, 30th October, the Media Studies Club of PASCAL English School and PASCAL Greek School, Lemesos visited the Reporters’ Hestia in Nicosia. There we had the opportunity to meet two reporters that have been working in this profession for

almost their entire lives and found out how the art of typogra-phy has evolved through time. During the 1950s, the method of

“Monotypia” was used to print newspapers and the main material used for printing on paper was lead. However the use of lead caused poisoning to the workers and so they had to drink 2 liters of milk each day in order to avoid the disease. Different methods of printing followed, such as “Linotypia”, “Stereotypia” and “Fotosynthesis” until the 1990s when computers and digital printers were introduced. The technological evolution has led to the printing of thousands of papers every day while back in the 1950s the only type workers could only print was 8 pages in 3 days! During our visit the old reporters discussed their opin-ions about the way old reporters and today’s reporters

handled the headlines. Firstly, journalists in the past had the role of teachers as their writings taught people reading and writing. A lot of effort was put in order not to make grammatical or spell-ing mistakes and the articles were checked nu-merous times by people who had a strong knowl-edge of the Greek language. Today almost the entire population of Cyprus is literate and don’t

depend on newspapers for their education however, in the old days journalists were highly respected because they were educators in the eyes of the people.

ANDREAS NICOLAOU 3A

Our Scuba-Diving

Club

ANTONIA VANEZI 2A GEORGIA EFSTATHIOU 6A

During our first Club Day the children involved in the Drama Club showed great enthusiasm and willing-ness to participate in all the activities. One of the aims of the Club for the day was for them to bond as a team,

thus many team-building exercises were intro-duced. Using their bodies’ pupils had to de-scribe different objects, therefore pupils had to work together to achieve this successfully. Another aim was for pupils to learn how to

project their voice and reenact a specific scene. This was met with great enthusiasm as the pupils’ particu-larly enjoyed reading a

script from the Lion King and actively partici-pated in role-playing. The last hour of the day was devoted to a spe-cial surprise we had for the pupils which was nothing else than face-painting! Pupils had their face painted as characters from the Lion King and really enjoyed the whole experience as they later had to reenact specific scenes from the film. All in all, both pupils and teachers had a fan-tastic time bonding and working as a team while having fun at the same time. I would like to thank my colleague Ms Lisa Codd for her contribution, the pupils who with their creativ-ity and resourcefulness made our gathering an unforgettable experience and the school for en-couraging pupils to join the drama club.

MS CHRISTINA MARIOU

The trip took place in Septem-ber 2012 and it lasted for a week. It was

surely an unforgetta-

ble and very unique experi-ence. Each person was hosted by a family and every day we had the chance to taste new food, visit new places and also learn the Czech language! At the Czech Evening presen-tation we, the pupils who participated in the Comenius Program ‘’Heal the World’’, had the chance to present to our classmates, parents,

teachers and to o ther guests, some of the knowl-

edge we gained from our trip to the Czech Republic. So at the Czech Evening we presented some interesting facts about Czech Republic’s history and culture as well as information on how their edu-cation system works. We also had a short language lesson and we prepared and presented cooking recipes of two traditional Czech dishes. People who attended the Czech Evening presentation had also the chance to eat a Czech schnitzel and drink Czech beer at the end of the presentation.

the older pupils were and we felt a bit uncomfortable until the teachers introduced us to our ‘big brothers’ and ‘big sisters’ -pupils from 6th form Upper School. We knew that if we needed someone, other than the teacher, to talk to, we could go to them.

Slowly but surely, we started fitting in.

Our teachers were also very nice and welcomed us. For some of us it was difficult learning all the teachers’ names and what lessons they taught, but we soon got the hang of it.

Our lessons were different from the lessons at the other schools, as we had to write our names and subjects on different books, and had so many different lessons, but pretty soon it became a habit of bringing all the correct books to each lesson without getting con-

fused. We also started getting into the routine of going to each class, pre-pared.

Now the school is like a second home that we go to five days a week.

The 5th September 2012 was my first day at PAS-CAL English School. There were others there of course and at first some of us didn’t

know each other that well but then we all started getting along. We had an induction day before school started which included fun games and it helped us to get to know each other better.

When school started we didn’t know who any of

P A G E 6

Our Experience in theOur Experience in the Czech RepublicCzech Republic

New School, New School, New EnvironmentNew Environment

see first-hand, what happens in a typical day in their field of interest. Getting a realistic idea of the positive and negative aspects of a job helps pupils make a more informed choice about what they want to study at uni-versity and what career would they like to follow for the rest of their lives. Furthermore, you can learn about related jobs in the same field, which could give more ideas about what kind of career one might pursue.

In addition, meeting people in their workpl is an opportunity to ask them questions, such as what they like best about their job, how they ended up in their line of work, and what qualifications they have. It also helps you start building a network of contacts in the field you like, which can help you find a job

later on. Lastly, pupils can ask the people in the company to write a reference letter which could be used by pupils for university and job applica-tions.

To sum up, the Work Experience Week is a great way to meet people in a working environ-ment and how people work in a specific job, helping in this way, pupils to make a wise and sensible decision about their future studies and career options. To sum up, the work experience week is a great way to meet the working envi-ronment and how people work in a specific job, helping in this way the pupils to make a wise and sensible decision about their future studies and career options.

During the period 3rd S e p t e m b e r - 7 t h September 2012,

the pupils of 6A from PASCAL Eng-lish School, Lemesos, completed their Work Experience Week. Our school’s counselor, Ms. Eleni Zanti helped allocate pupils to suitable working places, depending on what studies they were interested in fol-lowing.

Firstly, during the Work Experience Week, pupils got the opportunity to

P L AT I NU M N E W S

Work Experience

CHRISTINA CHATZICHARALAMBOUS 4B

ARTHUR KYRIACOUDES 1A

During the cooking lesson

Special moments in the Czech Republic

GEORGIA EFSTATHIOU 6A

Pupils getting to know each other during induction

The Halloween com-petition has success-fully taken place once more at both PASCAL

English School and Ελληνική Σχολή Πασκαλ with amazing creations submitted by pupils of all years, both with creativity and poetic ability. There were four overall winners from both schools, one from PASCAL English School Lower School, one from the Upper School and respectively from the Greek School.

PES Lower School: Christos Skordis - 3A PES Upper School: Melina Theodorou - 4B ESP Lower School: John Demetriades - A1 ESP Upper School: Galatia Atzini – ST1

Christmas in Australia is often very hot; Australians bake in the summer heat. The warm weather allows Australians to enjoy a tradi-tion which started in 1937. It is known as Carols by Candlelight and it is held every year on Christmas Eve. Thousands of people gather to sing their favourite Christmas songs. The evening is lit by many candles, singing under a clear sky.

Some Australians and specifically tourists often have their Christmas dinner at midday on a local beach. Bondi Beach in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs attract thousands of people on Christmas Day. At many beaches Santa Claus arrives on a surfboard or on a surf

lifesaving boat. Other families enjoy their day by having a picnic. Others stay at home, they swim, play cricket out the backyard or enjoy other outdoor activities.

A traditional meal includes a turkey dinner, with ham and pork. They also serve a Christmas plum pudding for dessert that has a Christmas favour baked in it. It is said that whoever finds this knows he/she will enjoy good luck throughout the year.

Australians are surrounded by a native plant called Christmas Bush. It has taken this

name as it is plant that has little red flowered leaves.

P A G E 7

Christmas in Australia

Halloween poem

Beware, beware it’s Halloween If you’re a teen of fourteen

You’ll get a big fright On Halloween night

Mummy’s goblins and ghosts These will frighten you the most

So beware fro I am Halloween’s host

Christos Scordis‐3A

P L AT I NU M N E W S

Halloween Poetry

Competition

The competition was followed by a Halloween party at the Ajax Hotel on where pupils had the chance to showcase their crea-tions while teachers and pupils alike performed their best dancing routines.

Above: Bondi beach on Christmas day Left: Native Christmas flower, Christmas Bush

Cultural Corner

Above Santa on his surfboard. Right: Christmas tree on the beach.

C H RI ST MA S 2 012

As you may already know, we are an environmentally friendly school, so lets uphold this honour and make a conscious effort to look after our planet. There are things we can do, both at school and at home, to promote this.

Reuse: The more we reuse, our shopping bags, jars and boxes, the less goes to

waste, which means less rubbish at landfill sites (dumps). Simple as that! Waste will eventually rot, but not everything, the rest generates methane gas, which is ex-plosive and contributes to the green-house effect.

Reduce: If you avoid generating rubbish in the first place, then you don't need to depend so much on the recycling process. There are many things you can consciously do such as opting for unpackaged food

items or at least shopping that isn't so heavily packaged. Remember, prevention is better than cure.

Recycle: Paper and plastic can be recycled at school. So don't throw

them in the general waste bin! At the back of your classroom is a bin for paper and a bin for plastics. So please use them. Your planet will thank you.....

P A G E 8

Welcome to your school’s very own, brand new ECO FRIENDLY PAGE!

Remember the three R's!!

ECO-Week Class

Competition Our school recently had an Eco Week. All classes

were required to pre-pare an eco corner

where they could recycle paper, aluminum, and

plastic. All classes were very creative and made

personalized bins. The winning class for the best “eco corner”

was 1B!

Eco-School is an interna-tional pro-gram of envi-ronmental and sustain-

able devel-opmental

education for schools. The aim of Eco-Schools is to raise pupils’ awareness of sustainable devel-opment issues though class-room study and community action. Last week our school organized a competition for an Eco School Week in which all the classes of the school took part. The aim of this competi-tion was to create beautiful recycle bins, so we can throw our rubbish separately and at the same time show how much we care about the environment. It is very important that young people care about the pollution of the environment and start learning, from a very young age,

to care and protect it. Our school organized this competi-tion so that it could cultivate consciousness in a fun way. All classes participated in this competition and so much effort was put into it that it was obvi-ous in the end the judges found it difficult to choose only one class. We really like the idea of being an Eco-School because we started caring more about the world around us. We hope that similar projects in-volving environmental protec-tion will continue taking place because the interest from us, the pupils, is huge.

CHRISTINA LOUNGRIDOU 4B

On the second Club Day of the year, our club decided to do something differ-ent other than the

usual things an Environmental

Club does. We didn’t plant trees or clean the beaches of garbage; we helped in a different way. Our club visited a foundation in Nicosia where other children live and we made them smile. We decorated a Christmas tree, singing happily and enjoying the fact that we were actually the reason why everyone there smiled and laughed. It was

something more than protecting the environment, which we did too, as we planted some flowers in the front yard of the foundation.

Also, nice graffiti in the entrance of the building gave a wonderful image and impression for every-one. Both children and teachers had a wonderful time and all of us enjoyed it a lot. It was a great ex-perience as there is nothing better than knowing you are actually offering love and laughter to peo-ple who need it. Each and every member of our club helped in his/her own unique way to have a wonderful time and make every-one satisfied. Some of us helped with planting and watering the flowers outside, others decorating, including the Christmas tree, and some helped with the graffiti. Some of us just talked to the chil-dren there bringing them a lot of joy and making them feel enthusi-astic about us being there. It was an unforgettable experience for all of us and we are looking forward to going there again, just like the children there are looking forward to seeing us again too.

Environmental Club

CHRISTOFORS GEORGIOU 4B

European Youth Parliament

6th National Session Cyprus and thoughts are discussed. The General Assembly took place at the ‘Agios Athanasios Theatre’ in Lemesos. Events are organised on two levels: National Sessions, where as the name indicates each nation’s pupils come together for a session, and International Sessions, where delegates from all over Europe gather for a ses-sion of the same format, but on a grander scale. The whole experience is not only rewarding from an educational aspect; where delegates can learn valuable life skills such as debating and researching, it is also a bonding experience with people from all over Europe having fun!

The European Youth Parliament is an inde-pendent, international, educational non-profit organisation which

provides young pupils a platform for learning, shar-

ing ideas and getting to know each others’ cultures. PASCAL English School and PASCAL Greek School, Lemesos had the opportunity to par-ticipate, each with a team consisting of 6 pupils, in the 6th National Ses-sion of the EYP in Cyprus. The 12 delegates were accommodated at Episkopiana Hotel in Episkopi, Lemesos for four days, 30th August until the 2nd September, together with other delegates from different schools. Each day the delegates were transported to the Heritage Private School in order to attend the team-building sessions and the committee work procedures. Teambuilding, committees and working towards a resolution that represents each com-mittee and the General Assembly (GA) are the three main parts of a session. The resolution formed during committee work, is then discussed in the GA where ideas are presented

The European Youth Parliament (EYP), considered to be one of the largest European platforms for political debate, represents a non-partisan and educational project tailored to the needs of the young European citizens. The EYP encourages independent thinking and socio-political initiative in young people and facilitates the learning of

crucial social and professional skills. Regional, national and international sessions are held

where young people come together and exchange ideas amongst them. Friendships are formed and international contacts across and beyond borders are made, and so the EYP contributes

towards uniting Europe.

On 12th December, we attended an Internal Mini-Session of PAS-CAL Education, which took place at PASCAL English School, Larnaka’s premises. This session was on the topic of “Ending

Crisis” and gave us a taste for the real session coming up next year. The PES Lemesos team, as the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, prepared a resolution on measures for making a fairer and more effective EU budget, which will support growth and enhance employ-ment opportunities. The session was interesting, with at-

tack and defense speeches and of course thought-provoking open debates. Moreover, through the preparation of the resolution, the research and the debate, we came across issues we had no idea of before-hand. It surely felt fascinating to learn new things and be an active young European citizen coming up with solutions for issues that have an impact on all of us.

TIMOTHEA DEMETRIOU 5B

GEORGIA EFSTATHIOU 6A

and beliefs of their allocated country. The pupils are divided into three committees, General Assembly 1, General Assembly 2 and General Assembly 3, accord-ing to their topics, which vary between Human Rights and Economy as well as Environ-mental issues. Also, besides the GAs some pupils have the oppor-tunity to take part in the Special Event, Security Council and this year, for the very first time, the Special Conference. All the pupils were a bit nervous on the first as they didn’t know much about MEDI.M.U.N and what their responsibilities and duties were but as soon as the Chairpersons, which are ex-MEDI.M.U.N members, explained everything to them, pupils were more than pleased to realize that they will be actively involved,

On the 17th of November 2012, Pupils from year 5 and 6 attended the MEDI.M.U.N Workshop at the English School premises in Lefkosia.

MEDI.M.U.N which stands for Mediterranean Model United Nations is a simu-

lation of the United Nations organization. The pupils, this time as delegates, represent a country. The delegates of each country have to defend, argue and express their opinions ac-cording to the need interests

debating and arguing with the other delegates and stating their resolutions for each topic and issue; but this time in the MEDI.M.U.N language! All pupils showed great enthusiasm as they know that MEDI.M.U.N requires a lot of hard work and research in order to achieve their aim which is the passing of their resolu-tions and clauses. Currently certain workshops are taking place at our school in which pupils prac-tice for the actual MEDI.M.U.N Conference which will take place in February 2013. I’m sure that we will make our school really proud once again!

P A G E 9

Creativity, success,

diversity,

resolutions,

delegations,

passion, innovation,

rewarding, politics,

debating, pupils.

N E W SL E T T E R T I TL E

MARYLENA ANTONIOU 5B

Our pupils at MEDI.M.U.N PRACTICE SESSION

C H RI ST MA S 2 012

On No-v e m b e r 17th we honour the pupils that

w e r e killed by

the tanks at the Poly-technic. It all started on Wednesday, 14th No-vember when, about 1.500 pupils had barri-caded themselves inside the Polytechnic, as they were on a strike. On Sat-urday 17th November about 30 tanks went to the Polytechnic. The pupils asked for 30 min-utes in order to leave the

building. They only gave them about 15 minutes. Of course many pupils didn’t have enough time to get out. Then the tanks crashed inside, killing hundreds of pupils. So every year we pay our respects to all those i n n o c e n t lives that were lost on that horrify-ing day.

For the first time this year our Year six pupils decided to organize a team building event. After being assigned their small brother or sister, they decided that the only way in which they could get to know them better was to spend

more time with them. Pupils from Year one and pupils from Year six spent two periods outside in the school yard playing games and doing activities that enabled them to get to know each other better. Pupils from Year one all said that this event help them come closer to both Year six pupils and their fellow classmates.

P A G E 1 0

28th October ‘The Pride of

OXI Day’

17th November

Team Building Event

pupils also danced to traditional Greek songs and were praised for the seriousness they demon-strated during the

celebration.

The following day,

pupils from the Upper School participated in the parade. The school’s performance was highly praised and the pupils exemplified their respect for our ancestors.

On the 26th of Octo-ber there was a celebration to com-memorate the day that Metaxas said the ‘OXI’ to the

Italian dictator Mussolini and by expansion to

all those who threaten democ-racy. Greeks were proud, they understood the true value of free-dom to a country and were against Nazis

and their actions of cruelty The celebration was comprised of poems, WWII era Greek songs by our school

choir and a chronicle of the events that took place, read by numerous pupils of our school. Some PASCAL English School

Above: our pupils during the celebra-tion. Left: Partici-pants of celebration.

Christmas

Jokes What did the

cow say on

Christmas morning?

Moooooey Christmas

When does Christmas

come before thanksgiving?

In the dictionary!

What is Santa called when he

stops moving?

Santa Pause!

Who says "Oh, Oh, Oh!"?

Santa walking backwards!

Marching Proudly

MARYLENA DIAKIDES 3B

MICHALIS SIALOUNAS 1B

Enjoying the day

All praise and thanks to the contributors of our newspa-

per who have put in a lot of hard work and effort…

Have a nice and enjoyable Christmas holiday and a

Happy New Year 2013!! General Coordinators and Editors: Ms Marianna

Achilleos, Ms Christina Mariou, Ms Lisa Codd

Journalists: Sophia Agathou (6A), Maria Averkiou (6A),

Georgia Efstathiou (6A), Timothea Demetriou (5B), Mary-

lena Antoniou (5B), Andreas Sazos (5B), Aggelos Savva

(5B), Christina Loungridou (4B), Christoforos Georgiou (4B),

Christina Chatzicharalambous (4B), Christos Skordis (3A),

Andreas Nicolaou (3A), Antonia Vanezi (2A), Arthur Kyri-

acoudes (1A), Michalis Sialounas (1B)

104, Spyros Kyprianou Avenue 3076 Lemesos Tel.: +357 22509400

Fax.: +357 22509490

Directions In a large bowl, cream together the

margarine and sugar until smooth. Stir in molasses and egg yolk. Com-bine the flour, salt, baking powder, with cookie cutters. Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 baking soda, cinna-mon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg; blend into the molasses mixture until smooth. Cover, and chill for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

(175 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes minutes in the preheated oven, until firm. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks. Frost or decorate when cool.

Ingredients Original recipe makes 2 1/2 dozen

½ cup margarine ½ cup sugar ½ cup molasses 1 egg yolk 2 cups sifted all purpose flour ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon ginger

Christmas RecipeChristmas Recipe Spicy Gingerbread MenSpicy Gingerbread Men

We all want the best for our children and as their educa-

tion plays an important part in their future, I believe I

made the correct choice in trusting PASCAL with my

daughter’s education. As a school PASCAL is organized

and extremely professional. The headmistresses and teach-

ers are dedicated, helpful, and friendly and they possess the

tools for success. The secretaries are pleasant and always

willing to help and offer assistance in a professional man-

ner.

I commend PASCAL on their discipline, which I consider

essential for the young generation of today. The house point

and demerit system PASCAL enforces is impressive as it

continually motivates the pupils to work hard throughout the

year. Going into secondary school can be intimidating and

frightening for Year 1 pupils but PASCAL does their

best for this to be a smooth transition

and make them feel welcome.

I like how Year 1 pupils have a big brother or sister in class

6. This makes them feel more comfortable knowing they

have someone to turn to should they need to. At the begin-

ning of the year I attended various seminars PASCAL of-

fered which I found enlightening and interesting. It’s good

to know what’s going on, how things work and what we can

do to help our children at home.

Having already experienced disappointment in private sec-

ondary education in another school I must say, for me, PAS-

CAL gets top marks. To conclude I would just like to say

Thank you PASCAL!

Elaine Charalambous

(1A parent)

Parent’s Corner