LOS OLIVOS SECONDARY MGAZINE

Dolor

December 2015

Inside • Interview with

Andy Cummings – Maths and Physics teacher

• Halloween 2015

• Christmas in Valencia

• In the Science Lab

• Los Olivos Alumni

• Sporting Stars

• Alumni News

ISSUE 13

A Very Merry Christmas and a

Happy New Year to all our readers from Los Olivos

Magazine!

Make a Wish Campaign!!! More than 600 euros donated. Thank you!!!!!!!

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STUDENT COUNCIL Yasmin Hamze | Anna Bono

The Make A Wish Foundation at Los Olivos This year the Los Olivos Student Council is raising money for the Make A Wish Spain Foundation. This organisation’s goal is to, with the help of schools all around Spain, raise money to fulfil the dream of children with serious illnesses . To be able to do so, the foundation asks schools to sell what they call “Dream Stars” for two euros each, and the money collected will directly go towards the organisation. On the 9th of December the student council organised an assembly with one of the members of this organisation and they informed us about their goals as well as about a little girl, Irene, who would like her dream to come true.

Irene is a 10 year old girl with cancer who lives in Alicante. Her dream is to be an actress some day. Her parents decided to put their daughter’s dream in Make A Wish´s hands with the hope that they would be able to make it come true. Los Olivos has raised nearly 500 euros for the organisation by selling the “Dream Stars” to every student, and then decorate our Christmas tree with them. Also, we decided that another good way to raise money would be to sell Christmas cookies now that Christmas is coming up. Thank you for your contribution to this cause, and let’s hope that many children get to make their wishes come true!!!

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Los Olivos MAGAZINE December 2011

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RISING STARS This issue we feature another Los Olivos Rising Star. This time it’s the turn of Luis Aroca Salom in Year 10.

Why did you start sailing, Luis? Every summer, my family and I would visit our grandparents in Javea. It was during one of these visits that I really got hooked on sailing. I was swimming at the pool, waiting for my brother to return from his sailing classes. One of his friends, who was ill and therefore had to stay in, encouraged me to try out sailing, so I did. Why do you like sailing? There are honestly lots of reasons I like sailing. To start with, I enjoy both the mental and the physical effort that is required to be good at the sport. Being able to think on your feet is a very important skill when you’re out in the ocean and the wind can change at any point. As with all sports, sailing is a great opportunity to make new friends and share fun moments with them as well as a great way of leaving behind the stress and responsibilities of our everyday life.

So, what would you consider your biggest achievement and what did you have to do to make sure you achieved it? In my opinion, my biggest achievement is being the Spanish champion in team racing. I trained six days a week for the entire summer in preparation for the championship. I also had to make sure I understood and remembered all the tactics my coach had taught me. We’ve talked about the present, but what are your plans for the future? I’d like to continue sailing. There’s a couple of competitions I’d like to participate in like: the America’s Cup, the Volvo Ocean Race and the European Championship. My dream, however, is to represent my country in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. I’ve always admired all the participants in the Olympic Games so I’d like to be one in the future.

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BEST BOOKS… NEW FEATURE – Ever wondered which books

inspire our teachers? Well, we spoke to Paul Caulfield about his favourite book of all time…

By Gloria Algarra and Laura Bonanad

So, what is your very favourite book? Well, my all time favourite has to be ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by J.D .Salinger. What is the book about? It’s about a rebellious 16 year old boy, with the same surname as me! He is a very confused and sarcastic person, who feels isolated from society; I felt identified with him as a teenager; he is also a book-lover just like me. When did you read it for the first time? I first read the book when I was 17. It made a big impression on me and really inspired me. It taught me that to achieve great things in life, we have to be very careful about the choices we make.

Would you recommend this book? Why? As an English teacher who loves books, I recommend all youngsters to read this one (from Year 11-13 especially), as it describes a teenager’s life with great detail, it explores their mind and it shows how complicated the adult world can be to a young boy. What do you think about the writer? Well, in fact, the writer is a bit of a mystery character; he disappears from society, even though he wrote successful books such as this one. Nobody really knows much about him. Also, some people think he is the author of different books, but that he used other names.

HALLOWEEN

Another frighteningly fun afternoon with Y7-10

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Our Medieval City Afer this, we headed to Virgin Square, where we waited a few minutes to see the Tribunal de les Aigües, the oldest judicial institution in Europe. The event didn’t last for long though, as nobody was accused and we only saw the representatives of the six main acequias for a few minutes; however, it was very exciting to see this ancient organisation (created in the Middle Ages) that we had even studied in class! Our next stop was right next door – the Romanesque door of the Cathedral. There, our guides explained the myth of Saint George and Jaume I, as well as the meaning of the stone heads above the door. Last but not least, we went to the oldest standing church in Valencia, San Juan del Hospital, named after the Order of the Knights Hospitalier. This place was where Jaume I used to pray and meditate. Inside we could observe symbols of this ancient religious order. After a few minutes inside the church, our visit ended and unfortunately returned to school. In conclusion, this trip really taught us all something about our city’s past; it was a very instructive experience. Anna Bono and Santi Bonanad – Y10

In December, Year 9 and 10 went on a cultural trip organized by Amparo, our Valencian teacher, around medieval Valencia. Firstly, we went to the Serrano Towers, where Sara and Emilio, our guides, told us all about Jaume I’s biography and the defensive architecture of the towers by the famous architect Pere Balaguer. Later on, the guides took us to the morería, where Muslims lived during the Christian conquest. There we saw the last ruins of the old Muslim wall and the Portal de la Valldigna. It was also very interesting to learn where our tradition of la mocadorà comes from and why we celebrate it those days... The tour continued through Cavallers Street, where all the rich knights and nobles that had helped conquering the city used to live. The guides pointed out Jaume I’s residence and a bit about the laws he passed specifically for the Kingdom of Valencia, the Furs.

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Berlin 2015

Year 12 and 13 students enjoyed another great cultural trip to the amazing German city

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teacherbook*InthisissueweinterviewtheMathsandPhysicsteacher,AndyCummings.Year10’s Clara Ferrer and Tania Gimeno askedthequestions.

·Where are you from? From a town called Halesowen,in the Black Country, which is in the centre of England. ·How long have you lived in Spain? I moved to Valencia in 2005 and have been at Los Olivos since September 2007. ·Tell us about your family? My parents and 2 sisters live in the UK. I also have a 2 and a half year old son who was born here in Valencia and I recently married his mum last summer although we have been together for 25 years.

How were your teenage years? I grew up in Halesowen in the 70’s and so I spent most of my time playing football and listening to punk music! I went to a very different school to Los Olivos with about 2000 students so it was a very different experience. I didn’t like maths at the time! ·Why did you decide to be a teacher? When I was younger a lot of friends said ”you should be a teacher” but when I was 27 the only thing I knew for sure was that I didn’t want to be a teacher! I then started helping friends at University with their Maths and really enjoyed it and signed up for a teaching course to try it out and found that I really enjoyed it.

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LOS OLIVOS ALUMNI This issue interviews Aida Sales to see how she’s getting on outside Los Olivos. By her sister, Zoe, in Year 10

1. HOWOLDWEREYOUWHENYOULEFTSCHOOL?

IwasseventeenandthenIwenttoOregon,intheUS.

2. WHOWASYOURFAVOURITETEACHER?WHY?

Mina,myHistoryandEnglishteacherinYear12becauseshemadeeverythingeasytounderstand.Shewasalsofunnyandunderstanding.

3. WEREYOUAGOODSTUDENT?WHATDOYOUTHINKMAKESAGOODSTUDENT?

Yes,IgotmostlyA,A+.Ibelievethatagoodstudentissomeonewhorespectsfellowstudentsandtheirteachers.Inaddition,theyshouldalwaystrytheirbestandnotgettoostressedaboutgrades!That’swhatIdidanditwasn’tmuchfun.

4. HOWHASLOSOLIVOSHELPEDYOU?

IthashelpedmebecauseIlearnedalotoflanguagesthereandhowtoimprovemySpanish.Italsogavemealotofconfidenceinmyself.

5. ISTHERESOMETHINGYOUWOULDLIKETOSAYTOTHESTAFFOFLOSOLIVOS?

ThankyouforthegoodtimesandIhopeyouhavethesamefamily-likespiritaswhenIwasatLosOlivos.

6. WHATHAVEYOUBEENDOINGSINCEYOULEFTTHISSCHOOL?

IhavetravelledalotandIamcurrentlystudyinginGermany.

7. WHATLIFEEXPERIENCEHAVEYOULEARNEDINLOSOLIVOS?

Ihavelearnedtogetalongwithandtolerateverydifferenttypesofpeople.

8. WHATISYOURFONDESTMEMORYOFLOSOLIVOS?

Paco’sjokes,singingTheBeatlesinMusicandhidingfoodinthediningroom. By Zoé Sales Rolando (Year 10)

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Science at Los Olivos Hooke’s Law… To do this experiment you need: a stand, a clamp, a spring, a ruler and slotted masses. Firstly, you join the stand with the clamp. Then you put a ruler next to where the stick joined with the clamp to be able to measure the length that has the string while carrying the slotted masses. Then you put the spring on the stick next to the ruler. You will need to put the slotted masses on the spring to be able to measure them. You also need to calculate the mass added, the force in newtons, the reading in cm and the total extension. The conclusion is that each time we add a mass the string stretches out more, that tells us that it’s a fair test.

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Dan’s Lab:

The Science Centre

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WHAT’s on at CHRISTMAS in VALENCIA?

After Katniss agrees to be the symbol of rebellion (Mockingjay), she tries to get to the Capitol and assassinate President Snow, to return peace to the Districts of Panem while dealing with battles and conflicts; Peeta tries to return to his usual state. . As her squad starts to get smaller and smaller, she will make it to the Capitol? Will she get revenge on Snow? Or will change her target? Will she be with her lover, Peeta? Or with her friend, Gale? Deaths, bombs and arrows, a love triangle... What will happen?

CHRISTMAS CINEMA..

Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a pilot, a wookiee and two droids to save the universe from the Empire's world-destroying battle-station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the evil Darth Vader. Discover what happens the 18th of December… BY ALEJANDRA and LAURA M (Y10)

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Valencian Christmas culture and traditions- something for everyone!!! The Valencian region is an extremely touristic place and very well known for its fantastic gastronomy , nice temperatures and its incredible festivals and traditions. The Valencian cuisine is a type of Mediterranean cuisine. Its basic ingredients are: vegetables, seafood and meat, although the valencian cuisine is known worldwide for its rice (paella). It receives important contributions from other cuisines such as the Balearic, Catalan, Aragon and the Manchego cuisine

True Traditions on Christmas On Christmas it is typical to eat nougat, known as “turrón”, which is immensely popular, especially the one made in Jijona, situated in Alicante. In addition, sugared almonds and roasted chestnuts are another well-liked, tasty food made in Casinos, a town in Valencia. However, unlike other countries and cultures, the Spanish people have its big meal on Christmas Eve while other cultures have its big meal on Christmas Day. It's typical to have lamb, bream, Christmas stew, seafood and Spanish shortbread biscuits known as “polvorones”. Although the Valencian cuisine is very acclaimed, its festivals and traditions are very impressive. People build nativity scenes at their homes or in public spaces (normally build by the City Council). Nativity scenes date back to Saint Francis of Assisi, who placed a manger inside a cave with an image of baby Jesus and an ox and a mule beside the manger. The idea extended to Italy and King Charles III of Spain imported the tradition to his country.

Thirdly, the 5th of January the Three Kings disembark on Valencia's port before going through the city's street to the City Hall, where they'll stand in the balcony. The next day children receive the presents from the 3 kings that they asked in their letters after letting some food and milk for them and their camels. It is common to eat the "Roscón de Reyes", a cake named after the Three Kings. This cake contains a small surprise and the person who finds it is crowned King of the house. There's also a bean hidden and the one who finds it promises to buy next year's cake. BY TONI and LEANDRO (Year 10)

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Reportajes de Y.7 y Y.9 - La Torres Eifel. (Y.7) - La evolución de los videojuegos. (Y.7) - La economía andalusí. (Y.9)

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La Torre Eiffel La torre Eiffel (tour Eiffel, en francés) está situada en la capital de Francia, Paris. Se construyó en 1887 por Gustave Eiffel con 250 obreros,con altura de 300 metros y fue alargada más tarde con una antena a 324 metros. Durante 41 años fue la estructura más elevada del mundo. Se construyó en dos años, dos meses y cinco días y generó cierta polémica entre los artistas de la época, que la veían como un monstruo de hierro. Inicialmente, Eiffel había presentado su proyecto de torre a los responsables del Ayuntamiento de Barcelona, para que se construyera en esa ciudad española, pero a los responsables del ayuntamiento barcelonés les pareció una construcción extraña y cara, que no encajaría en la ciudad por lo que rechazaron el proyecto. Lejos de enamorar a los parisinos, tuvo un enorme rechazo social. Sin embargo, sería el ejército francés quien acabaría por salvar la vida de la Torre Eiffel, porque tras unas pruebas militares con equipos de transmisiones se llegó a la conclusión de que la torre era un lugar privilegiado para la instalación de antenas y equipos de radio. El proyecto original contemplaba que la torre alcanzase los 350 metros de altura, pero los vecinos se alarmaron por la amenaza de que un edificio tan alto y construido sin apenas piedras pudiera caerse, y se manifestaron, provocando un cambio de planes. La construcción se inauguró el 31 de marzo de 1889 y se abrió a todos los públicos el 6 de mayo de ese mismo año. El peso inicial de la torre era de alrededor de 7300 toneladas, que ha ido aumentando gradualmente hasta alcanzar más de 10000, debido al museo, restaurantes, almacenes, emisoras de programas radiofónicos y televisivo y tiendas que actualmente alberga. Se le considera el símbolo indiscutible de Francia y de la ciudad de París en particular, siendo el monumento más visitado del mundo. Carla Ceres, Year 7

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La evolución de los videojuegos Todos hemos jugado a un videojuego alguna vez, a veces, incluso hemos jugado la segunda parte de ese juego. Pero… ¿alguna vez te has preguntado qué diferencia hay entre un juego y el otro? Gráficos Los gráficos son las imágenes que una persona ve en la pantalla de su consola. Da igual que sean más grandes o más pequeños, los gráficos siempre serán cuadrados con los que se pueden hacer imágenes de diferentes colores. Los gráficos han ido haciéndose pequeños y hoy en día se pueden hacer hasta círculos con los cuadrados a los que nos limitan.

Jugabilidad La “jugabilidad” es la facilidad que tiene el jugador para usar los controles del juego. Desde cuadrados mandos hasta teclas del ordenador. Hay juegos con gráficos bastante simples pero con una jugabilidad increíble. La jugabilidad es un gran factor para decidir si un juego es bueno o malo.

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Ideas Obviamente al cabo del tiempo a la gente se le van a ocurrir más y más ideas nuevas para sus juegos y las van a añadir en versiones futuras como la segunda parte, pero… Estas ideas también pueden traer problemas… Glitches Los glitches son problemas de programación o trucos que los desarrolladores de ese juego nunca pensarían. No ha habido, hay o habrá un juego sin glitches. Los glitches son inevitables. Hay varios tipos de glitches: fallos de texturas, programas imperfectos, etc.

Miguel Bonanad, Year 7

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La Economía Andalusí La ciudad era el centro de toda la actividad económica, en específico el zoco, que era

lo que ahora llamaríamos un mercado. Aquí se desarrollaba una floreciente artesanía, principalmente se comerciaba textil, papel, cuero, forja, vidrio, etc. El comercio, que era muy activo, exportaba bienes de modo internacional, como, por ejemplo, cuando Al-Andalus recibía metales y madera de Europa, esclavos, oro y marfil de África y, de Oriente, objetos de lujo y especias, mientras que los musulmanes entregaban productos manufacturados a cambio.

La agricultura también desempeñó un importante papel en la economía andalusí, ya que se introdujeron nuevas técnicas, como el regadío, que se desarrolló mediante las acequias, norias y azudes, en campos cultivados por musulmanes que pusieron en práctica nuevos cultivos como el arroz, los cítricos o el cáñamo.

Estos, además de introducir nuevas técnicas, también aportaron nuevos conocimientos médicos, científicos, quirúrgicos y astronómicos. En concreto la numeración arábiga, la fabricación de porcelana, el papel, los bálsamos y perfumes… El arco de herradura y el lobulado, la bóveda nervada, el azulejo, la decoración caligráfica, la figuras geométricas o vegetales, etc., son elementos del arte árabe que los musulmanes aportaron a la Península.

Esta sociedad andalusí era compleja porque había una gran diversidad de culturas, religiones y categorías sociales. La gente musulmana se podía dividir en árabes (la élite del poder político y social, ya que formaban parte de la minoría que había dirigido la conquista), los bereberes (pastores provenientes del Norte de África) y los muladíes (hispanovisigodos que, después de ser conquistados, se convirtieron al islamismo). Los mozárabes (hispanovisigodos que permanecieron fieles a su religión) y los judíos formaban parte de la minoría que no era musulmana. María O. Y9

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ANUNCIOS

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