A-S-T-O-N-I-S-H-M-E-N-T. ASTONISHMENT! Joy of discovery. Happiness to be able to transmit. The unique and spontaneous moment of discovering how letters sound when we say them together out loud and a word is born, and with it, everything it can make you feel. The joy of being able to share those stories that move. The First Year of Primary group each week enjoys a reading space where they immerse themselves in the world of letters, words, sentences, which draw us stories and images with teachings and values: friendship, honesty, respect, loyalty. Through the fables of Aesop, Leonardo da Vinci and other authors, we have created our first Reading Book. The great amazement is not only to discover reading, but to discover the gift of being able to transmit and move others.

Rangoli is an ephemeral geometric drawing from India created with colored holi powders. It symbolizes transformation and offers protection to the community. During this 5th period of drawing shapes, the second cycle of primary school group has created their own Rangolis, they have experimented with the lines and with colored powders creating shapes. Additionally, two of the class projects were selected to be in common spaces at the school.

In this math period we have started the day with a rhythm game in the garden alternating jump rope games and rhythm games with our hands. Later, in the classroom, we did a short meditation to listen calmly, with eyes closed and stillness to the noise of silence. Next we have continued with the mental calculation that has been present during the 3 weeks. During this period we have worked with fractions, decimals and percentages based on visual proposals, where they have had to solve practical problems. They have been introduced to the problems of the family economy solving situations that can be found on a daily basis: discounts, taxes, etc. It is the beginning of the economic mathematics that will be found later. Hypatia of Alexandria has accompanied us throughout the entire period. Discover that in the cultural capital of the world there was a woman like Hypatia, where her memory still endures, defending until her last breath wisdom, bravery, humility, justice and truth.  

What is needed to study and know the nature of the human being? A holistic vision is needed that includes geology, botany, zoology, geography, meteorology. A comprehensive vision is needed that can relate the systems of your body. With the 1st year of ESO group for 3 weeks, we have begun to discover the particularities that the human organism has, and to do this we have first observed, drawn and described the qualities of the Mineral, Vegetable and Animal Kingdom. What similarities and differences do they have between yes and what is the essence that characterizes them? How are they interdependently related? What are the differences between the Animal Kingdom and the Human Being? Through question and reflection, we have discovered that the human being contains the mineral kingdom in his physical body, especially in the bones and teeth, where crystalline structures appear. The growth, metabolic and reproduction processes are linked to the plant kingdom, since formative forces participate; and in the same way as the animal kingdom, the human being closes itself by creating an inner world and opens to the world through the sense organs, influenced by psychic forces. The great difference between human beings and the rest of the kingdoms lies in their ability to think, which includes the freedom to create something new. And in the possibility of learning and developing infinite capabilities in the learning process.  

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way." A tale of two cities by Charles Dickens (the opening)   In the XIX century, Charles Dickens astonished the world with the publication of his novel that detailed the contradictions of its own time. Since then, we believe that each era of Humankind is full of Beauty, Truth and Goodness but at the same time also contains brutality, evil and decay. Students from 2nd and 3rd years of ESO are also going through a moment of their lives full of contradictions. They are like raw diamonds that need to be polished in order to become the most beautiful stones in the mountain. Adolescents have to decide what kind of person they would like to be and for that they have a very powerful ally: words. We are made of the same material of the words we say every day. There are thousands of words: spoken, written but also in our inner dialogue, those words that we never share with anyone. They are all important. The group of 2nd and 3rd has been navigating a sea of words with Charles Dickens, George Orwell and Virgina Woolf, searching for the words they love and they identify with the most. For final project of this lesson block, each student has created a Blackout Poem showing the hidden message that they have found, an opportunity to let their inner voice speak out.

Fairy tales have existed in all cultures. For centuries stories lived in oral tradition at the same level as myths or sacred texts. They tell in powerful images the development of the human being as an individual and the evolutionary path of humanity. When we listen to an original story, we become part of it and it leads us to our interior. It is spiritual food for our soul. Stories influence and stimulate the forces of fantasy and imagination, cultivate astonishment and enhance language and listening. Every day at the end of the morning, we tell fairy tales in the Kindergarten. These stories always have a happy ending, which allows us to develop trust in the world.

In English Block, fifth and sixth grade are researching ecosystems and biomes. We have been looking at the plants, animals, land structures and weather conditions that make up different ecosystems. This week we have been making our own terrariums in glass bottles that represent the different systems and the children have been asked to make their own individual terrarium. Additionally we are working in groups to research and present these ecosystem. This project will have several components: - Research and display written information about our chosen ecosystem in a creative and inspiring way. - Recreate a miniature ecosystem in 3 dimensions. - Present our findings to the classmates. We are using our Forest Project time to learn about the necessary balance within an ecosystem.

It is through free play that the child begins to understand the world. Before the age of three, the child develops the foundations for his later life, walking, speaking and with it the possibility of thinking, and it is from the age of three onwards that the child assimilates what he imitates through play. By playing, practice and by practicing, you learn. Through imitation, the child is free to learn for himself and the experiences he has penetrate into the depths of his being, he is formed and receives the lesson that his experiences contain. We must preserve the strength of initiative for the rest of our lives. The best preparation for thinking is activity that allows the child to enter the world through free play. We must ensure that the child feels the happiness of making discoveries, letting him experience the wonder. In this way their talents and will develop.

The first and second graders have just concluded a form Drawing lesson block. Form Drawing is about artistic non-representational mark making and is used to strengthen multi-sensory learning, crossing the mid-line, visual motor integration, spatial intelligence, and social emotional skills. It's fun, creative and a provides a great basis for the subsequent letters lesson block. It was an enjoyable start to the New Year and we produced some beautiful books.