Unfortunately the news regarding concrete acts of aggression and violence have been up to day in the educational centers of Spain for some time past, generating the consequent social alarm.

    The "bullying" refers to a group of people who devote themselves to the siege, pursuit and aggression to someone. Four key aspects appear in this behaviour:

 a) Physical assaults,  verbal or phychological intimidations, destined to cause fear, pain or damage to the victims;

 b) Power abuser of the strongest to the weaker people.

c) Absence of provocation on the part of the victim;

d) Repeated incidents between the same children or youngsters for a long and constant time.

·· Aesthetic ··

·In the high school La Minilla there are  vocational studies; Aesthetic and Textile.

In aesthetic there are three levels:
- Advanced Degree (it lasts two years)

- Intermediate Degree.

- Social Guarantee.

·In order to be able to start  these courses, there are some interviews with the students interested in enrolling these courses. In the interviews teachers check that students have got:
- Vocation.
- Tolerance.
-Courtesy.
- Culture.
- Psychology.
- Good external Aspect.
-Will and hard work.

· Once you finish your studies there are different positions to work in the field of aesthetic:

- Official: The boss. The person in charge of all.
- Assistant: Person who works to the orders of the official.
- Apprentice: They  must be between 16 and 20 years old ,they receive education and they signed and has apprentice’s contract.

LA MINILLA IN A DEBATE COMPETITION

        The 5th debate competition among secondary schools of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has taken place this year. Our school, La Minilla, took part in it.

        In this competition, eight students from the age of sixteen to the age of eighteen from each school prepare a topic they have already been told, to debate about it for an hour with other eight students from another school. The team that does it better in the debate gets to the following stage.

Six of the eight students of each team debate. The other two are substitutes. Our team was compounded by Josué Medina, Helia Suárez, Samuel Cabrera, Glenda Tenembaun, Jose Rodríguez,  Jara Trigueros, Doramas and me, Eirin Ortega.

    Some of the topics that were debated were “Immigration”, “Marriage and adoption of children between homosexual couples” or “Women inside politics”.

        We debated until the semi-final, then, we were eliminated by the team from Las Teresianas. In spite of the defeat, we liked it so much, we learnt a lot, we got confidence on ourselves and we even made new friends.

From left to right, me, Doramas, Glenda and Jara, getting  ready for the debate.

Our school has already won this competition. Although this year we didn’t, we’re getting ready for the next year’s one

        We are very thankful with all the teachers who helped us and supported us, specially Mariel, our Psychology teacher, who was our friend and our coordinator. It was an unforgettable experience.

 These lessons take place every Tuesday and Wednesday in a schedule from 16:00 to 18:00 p.m. in a classroom of La Minilla high school. The classes are free. And they will conclude in June in this year. It is a good opportunity to learn a little more about painting and we spend our free time in something useful and enjoyable.
    We  work all kinds of technical  skills of drawing such as artistic and  oil painting.

In my school I.E.S La Minilla some sport activities take place in the evening for all the ages. Boys and girls can  practise tennis twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Among other activities we also  practise indoor football  in the evening in the main court of I.E.S Minilla, where students of all the levels go to and where they are taught the rules and practise group games

Besides these sport activities the center gives guitar lessons where monitors teach boys and girls the punteo of the strings, the fitting of the guitar and they also teach us to play the musical  notes. These classes are  twice a week.

These classes are an aid for boys and girls since in these classes we feel  relaxed and besides that  we learn sports and arts abilities .

     This kind of lessons are carried out in our school on Tuesday and Thursday from 17:00 to 18:30 h.

The classes are free. They will finish at the end of the school year 2006. In them we learn the best use of the computers, how to create web pages, to insert images, to do documents, installation of programs, etc …

     Even though we do not realize that attending these lessons is very important for us, you learn better and better the use of the computers, since this is now the order of the day.

     Do not lose this opportunity! You will learn everything you should want to know! Are you going to miss it?

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        EL INSTITUTO:

 El Instituto La Minilla fue fundado en 1996, Desde entonces lleva 8 años impartiendo los cursos de educación secundaria,  bachillerato y cursos de formación profesional.

         Los alumnos empiezan a los 12 años de edad hasta llegar a 4º de la ESO cuando finaliza la educación obligatoria. Estos al acabar la ESO tienen varias opciones, pueden seguir estudiando hasta acabar bachillerato  para poder acceder después a la universidad o bien hacer un ciclo medio de formación profesional después de 4º o un ciclo superior después de bachillerato.

         Nuestro instituto esta formado por tres plantas: En la planta baja se encuentra los talleres, aulas de música, informática  y tecnología, salas de videos y cafetería .En la planta principal encontramos las aulas de primero y segundo de la ESO, aulas de laboratorio, sala de profesores, baños, consejería, secretaría y dirección. Por último, en la tercera planta están los alumnos de tercero y cuarto de la ESO, bachillerato y la biblioteca.

LOS PROFESORES Y LAS ASIGNATURAS:

El alumnado de primero, segundo y tercero de la ESO cuentan con once asignaturas entre las que se encuentran: matemáticas, lengua, ingles, plástica, música, tecnología, educación física, ciencias naturales (1º y 2º) y biología (3º), sociales e historia, física y química (3º). Entre las materias  podemos elegir entre: cultura clásica, francés, taller de fomento, alemán, religión o actividades de estudio.

         Los alumnos de 4º de la ESO pueden elegir entre estas opciones: opción A donde entra biología, física y química y matemáticas B. En la opción B tenemos tecnología, física y química y matemáticas B. En la opción C hay matemáticas A, plástica y música, y por último en la opción D entran matemáticas A, plástica y tecnología.

Independientemente hemos de cursar las asignaturas obligatorias como lengua española,  inglés, educación física y ciencias sociales.

En bachillerato se puede optar por las siguientes ramas: ciencias de la salud, científico tecnológico, humanidades y ciencias sociales.

 LOS ALUMNOS:

Los estudiantes empiezan las clases a las 8:00 de la mañana y terminan a las 14:00 horas.

Entre clase y clase tenemos cinco minutos hasta que el  profesor llegue al aula, y media hora de recreo a media mañana.    

No tenemos unas normas que nos obliguen a vestirnos con uniformes, pero tampoco podemos ir en bañadores, zapatillas para la playa, gorras…etc.

       En total el curso consta de nueve meses de clases, y por medio tenemos quince días de vacaciones de Navidad, una semana de Carnavales, Semana Santa y al terminar el curso los tres meses de verano, además de otros  días festivos a lo largo del año.

      El curso acabará aproximadamente el 23 de junio, cuando será la entrega de las calificaciones finales.

  THE SCHOOL

 The secondary school “ La Minilla” was founded in 1996. Since then for the last eight years it has been teaching the levels of compulsory secondary education, high secondary school, professional training studies and courses of special teaching for students with educational problems. The students begin at the age of twelve years until arriving at 4º level when they finish their compulsory education. After that they have several options. They can continue studying until finishing the upper secondary school and go to the university or make an average cycle of professional studies.

  There are three floors in our school: on the ground floor you can find the workshops, the music, computers, technology, video classrooms and the cafeteria. On the main floor we find the classes for first and second levels, classrooms of laboratory, staffroom, toilets, secretary’s offices and direction.  Finally, on the third floor there are classrooms for the third and fourth levels, upper secondary classrooms and the library.

 THE TEACHERS AND THE SUBJECTS

          The pupils of first, second and third levels have to take eleven subjects such as: Mathematics, Spanish language, English, Plastic arts, Music, Technology, Physical Education, Natural Sciences (1º and 2º) and Biology (3º), History, Physics and Chemistry (3º). Among the optional subjects learning workshop we can choose:  French, Classical Culture or German, Religion or Activities of Study. 

The students of 4º level can choose between these options:  option A with Biology, Physics and Chemistry and Mathematics. In option B we have Technology, Physics and Chemistry and Mathematics. In option C there are Mathematics, Plastic Arts and Music, and finally in option D they study Mathematics, Plastic Arts and Technology. Besides that there are compulsory subjects like Spanish language, English, History and Physical Education.

In the upper secondary school it is possible to decide among the following itineraries: Sciences of the Health, Science and Technology, Humanities.

 THE STUDENTS

The students begin the classes at 8:00 in the morning and finish at 14:00 p.m.  We have six lessons each day from Monday to Friday.

Between the six lessons we have five minutes free until each teacher arrives at the classroom. There is a break of half and hour in the middle of the lessons day. We do not have any rules that force us to dress school uniforms, but we can not go in bathing suits, slippers for the beach, caps…

The whole school year consists of nine months of lessons. We have a fortnight of vacations in Christmas, one week in Carnivals, Easter and three months of summer holiday besides bank holidays.  The school will finish the 23th of June when we will be delivered the final marks.

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ONE AND A HALF MILLION PROTEST AGAINST EDUCATION LAW IN MADRID

One and a half million demonstrators, according to the Madrid regional government, demonstrated last 12^th November against the education law (LOE) the Government has planned. "Zapatero, you liar, the family is the most important," read only one of the thousands of signs and banners at this year's third mass demonstration against the Socialist administration's policies.

 Thousands of people went out from different regions of the whole country and marched in Madrid to defend the quality of education and the freedom of electing schools, which they consider seriously in danger if the project of the Government is approved by the Parliament. The demonstrators called on the administration to be sensitive to their wishes and promised that the protests would not stop until the project is halted.

The demonstration had a festive air, with thousands of Spanish flags, signs and banners against the prime minister and his educational policies, and the theme song, "Borriquito como tu" (little donkey like you).  Representing the ten organizations that called the demonstration, this march of protest demonstration kicked off with a banner reading, "Freedom of education, no LOE," carried by members of two parents' associations, two schools' associations, two civic platforms, two unions, and two student groups, mostly Catholic. Several PP (Popular Party) leaders followed them with a banner reading, "Against school failure, no LOE," and representatives of the over 800 associations backing the demo followed with a banner saying, "For the prestige of education, no LOE." Among PP leaders present were secretary general Angel Acebes, Madrid regional premier Esperanza Aguirre, former education minister Pilar del Castillo, … etc. Six bishops were also present, those of Madrid, Granada, Jaca, Valencia, Toledo, and Murcia. 

  Most of the demonstrators were families and young people, and there were teachers, priests, and nuns. The most popular chants were "I don't want Zapatero to educate me," "Zapatero deserves a zero," "The family, united, will never be defeated," and "Zapatero, resign." The march of protest began at 5 PM and took an hour to cover the 900 meters that separate Neptune Plaza from the Puerta de Alcala, where speakers denounced "government intervention" in education and that the LOE (Organic Education Law) violates parents' rights to choose their children's school. The manifesto, read by former Miss World Mariasela Alvarez, accused the administration of breaking its promise for a consensus educational reform, warned that the LOE wouldn't solve student failure, and said it would not increase their level of knowledge. Parents' organization leader Luis Carbonel demanded a meeting with prime minister Zapatero in order to ask him for an "immediate halt to the reform." 

         Meanwhile, education minister María Jesús San Segundo said that the fears of those who oppose the LOE are "groundless," defended the legality of the new status of the subject of religion, and said that the new law did respect the right of parents to choose their children's education.  On his turn PP spokesman Angel Acebes accused the administration of "insulting the Spanish people and bringing back a failed educational model." PSOE (Spanish Socialist Party) spokesman Fernando Moraleda accused the PP of "playing politics with lies" and some bishops of "behaving more like militants than religious believers." 

 Administration spokesman Fernando Moraleda has also accused the PP of "playing politics with lies," saying that many of the people who participated in the demonstration thought that their children wouldn't be able to study religion as a subject nor choose their school. "The PP's technique is to lie first and then attack. It's only interested in confrontation, not agreement." For his part, PP president Mariano Rajoy has asked the Government the withdraw of this Project of Law, now in step in the Congress and proposes an education agreement which can last the next twenty years.

 This Government project of law would be the fifth Education Law during the last twenty seven years of democratic stage in Spain. 

 UN MILLÓN Y MEDIO PROTESTAN CONTRA LA LEY DE EDUCACIÓN EN MADRID

Un millón y medio de manifestantes, según el gobierno regional de Madrid, se manifestaron el pasado 12 de Noviembre contra la ley  de educación (LOE) que el Gobierno ha planificado. “Zapatero, mentiroso, la familia es lo más importante” se leía en una de las miles de letreros y pancartas en esta tercera masiva manifestación contra la política de la administración socialista.

           Miles de personas salieron desde diferentes regiones de todo el país y marcharon en Madrid para defender la calidad de la educación y la libertad de elección de colegio, que consideran seriamente en peligro si el proyecto del Gobierno es aprobado por el Parlamento. Los manifestantes demandaron a la administración ser sensible a sus deseos y prometieron que la protesta no pararía hasta que el proyecto se detenga.

          La manifestación tenía un aire festivo, con miles de banderas españolas, letreros y pancartas contra  el presidente y su política educativa y el tema cantado era “Borriquito como tu”. Representando a las diez organizaciones que convocaron la manifestación, esta marcha de protesta se iniciaba con una pancarta donde se leía “Libertad de educación, no LOE”, llevada por miembros de las dos asociaciones de padres, dos asociaciones de escuelas, dos plataformas cívicas, dos sindicatos y dos agrupaciones estudiantiles, en su mayoría católicos. Varios líderes del PP los seguían con otra pancarta que decía “Contra el fracaso escolar, no LOE” y representantes de más de 800 asociaciones apoyando la manifestación seguían con una pancarta que rezaba “Por el prestigio de la educación, no LOE”. Entre los líderes del PP presentes estaba el secretario general Angel Acebes, la presidenta de la región de Madrid Esperanza Aguirre, la anterior ministra de educación Pilar del Castillo, … etc. Seis obispos se encontraban también presentes, los de Madrid, Granada, Jaca, Valencia, Toledo y Murcia.

          La mayoría de los manifestantes eran familias y gente joven, y había profesores, curas y monjas. Las canciones repetidas más populares eran “No quiero que Zapatero me eduque”, “Zapatero merece un cero”, “La familia unida jamás será vencida” y “Zapatero dimite”. La manifestación comenzó a las cinco de la tarde y le llevó una hora recorrer los 900 metros que separan la Plaza de Neptuno de la Puerta de Alcalá, donde oradores denunciaron la “intervención del gobierno” en educación y que la LOE (Ley Orgánica de Educación) viola los derechos de los padres a elegir el colegio para sus hijos. El manifiesto, leído por la antigua Miss Universo Mariasela Álvarez, acusaba a la administración de romper su promesa de una reforma consensuada de la educación, avisaba que la LOE no resolvería el fracaso de los estudiantes, y decía que no incrementaría su nivel de conocimiento. El lider de una organización de padres Luis Carbonel pedía una reunión con el presidente del Gobierno para demandarle una “inmediata paralización de la reforma”. 

         Entretanto, la ministra de educación María Jesús San Segundo decía que los miedos de los que se oponen a la LOE son “infundados”, defendía la legalidad del nuevo status de la materia de religión, y manifestaba que la nueva ley respetaba el derecho de los padres a elegir la educación de sus hijos. En su turno el portavoz del PP Angel Acebes acusaba a la administración de “insultar al pueblo español y volver a un sistema de educación fracasado”. A su vez el portador del PSOE (Partido Socialista Español) Fernando Moraleda acusaba al PP de “hacer política con la ley” y a algunos obispos de “actuar más como militantes que como creyentes religiosos”.

          El portador de la administración Fernando Moraleda también ha acusado al PP de “hacer política con mentiras”, manifestando que mucha de la gente que participó en la manifestación pensaba que sus hijos no podrían estudiar religión como una materia ni elegir colegio. “La táctica del PP es mentir primero y después atacar. Está sólo interesado en la confrontación, no en el acuerdo”. Por su parte, el presidente del PP Mariano Rajoy ha pedido al Gobierno la retirada de este proyecto de ley, ahora en trámite en el Congreso y propone un acuerdo en educación que pueda durar los próximos veinte años.

          Este proyecto de ley del Gobierno podría ser la tercera Ley de Educación durante los últimos veintisiete años de etapa democrática en España.

L.O.E

 There is a new law called LOE that will deal with all the educational aspects in the future. It is a very controversial law, since there are a lot of people in favour and against the law.

The responsible of the Department of education in Castilla y León questions the contents of the study plans of the L.O.E., and thinks that the “citizens education” subjects tries to adoctrinate students.
In their hands is the planification of the teaching that the students receive.

There are publics centres, and private centers as well, that have a good position in the students evaluations. There is no “good citizen” book; Spain’s children study art, music, history… more than that. Some pupils think that the Ebro river begins within Cataluña, and it does so in Cantabria.

We must recover the prestige that the teacher had in other times. Speaking about salary, its hard to compare but Spanish teachers have a good salary.

Some sectors criticize that private schools still don’t assume the precentage of foreign students that correspond them. On the other hand, almost all private schools are placed in the city, and so rural students have to go to state centers, because they have no other choice.

 The L.O.E. is not a good education system, and we must stop it. If the students can pass through a course with four failed subjects, and those students are going to be our future, then this isn’t a good future.

Difference between the academic results of the men and the women.   


Primary and secondary school

As for the Primary Education, the practical totality of students, with ages between the 6 and 11 years goes to school. Significant difference between boys and girls does not exist, but one of the aspects in which they emphasize the differences by sex takes shape in the academic yield. The percentage of girls that repeats course is smaller, than the one of their companions throughout all the levels of obligatory education, from the 6 to the 16 years. In the Obligatory Secondary Education, that it takes care of students of 12 to 16 years, the data confirm the tendencies that were reflected in Primary. In addition, there is a greater percentage of students than they obtain the Graduated one in Secondary , reason why the number of men is greater who do not finish the secondary school and they are oriented to the Programs of Social Guarantee.
 

Upper secondary school

 In the present educative system, does not constitute an obligatory stage but it is a formative period from preparation to the university or the Professional Formation of superior degree.  The presence of the girls in secondary is superior to the one of the boys.  Of the 531,032 students registered in BUP and COU in 1998-99, 275,731 were women, around a 52%.  Data that confirms how are acceded to superior studies, the percentage of registered women increases simultaneously that the one of men diminishes.  In addition, the girls continue maintaining a better yield in all the courses, with an index of repetition smaller than the one of the boys.  This report states that in option A (Letters) of third the greater percentage of feminine presence with a 54, 55% is concentrated; as well as, in option B (Sciences) it surpasses 50%.  Whereas in the option To of COU (Cientific-tecnologic) he is superior the attendance of men.  The students of the option of Sciences in BUP, go mainly in the COU to the option B (Bio-Sanitaria), that considers one of the university branches at the moment preferred by the women, to get up to races like Infirmary or Medicine.  Baccalaureate LOGSE shows data similar to those of BUP and COU.  In all the modalities, less in Technology, the presence of women is located in percentage superior to the one of men, whereas Social Humanities and Sciences concentrate greater number of girls, a 64.47%, as opposed to 35.53 of masculine attendance.


Diferencia entre la producción académica de los hombres y de las mujeres.
 

Primaria y secundaria

En cuanto a la educación primaria, la totalidad práctica de estudiantes, con edades entre los 6 y 11 años va a la escuela. La diferencia significativa entre los muchachos y las muchachas no existe, pero uno de los aspectos en los cuales acentúan las diferencias por las tomas del sexo forma en la producción académica.  El porcentaje de muchachas que repite curso es más pequeño, que el que esta' de sus compañeros a través de todos los niveles de la educación obligatoria, de los 6 a los 16 años.  En la educación secundaria obligatoria, eso toma el cuidado de los estudiantes de 12 a 16 años, los datos confirma las tendencias que fueron reflejadas en primario.  Además, hay un mayor porcentaje de estudiantes que obtienen el graduado en secundario, razón por la que el número de hombres es mayor quiénes no acaban la escuela secundaria y se orientan a los programas de la garantía social
 

Bachillerato

En el actual sistema educativo, no constituye una etapa obligatoria pero es un período formativo de la preparación a la universidad o a la formación profesional del grado superior.  La presencia de las muchachas en secundario es superior a la que esta' de los muchachos.  De los 531.032 estudiantes se colocó en BUP y COU en 1998-99, 275.731 eran mujeres, alrededor de un 52%.  Datos que confirman cómo mientras que se accede a los estudios superiores, el porcentaje de los aumentos registrados de las mujeres simultáneamente que el que esta' de hombres disminuye.  Además, las muchachas continúan manteniendo una producción mejor en todos los cursos, con un índice de la repetición más pequeño que el que esta' de los muchachos.  Este informe indica que en la opción A (letras) del tercera el mayor porcentaje de la presencia femenina con un 54.55% está concentrado;  tan bien como, en la opción B (ciencias) sobrepasa el 50%.  Mientras que en la opción de COU (Cientifico-tecnologico) él es superior la atención de hombres.  Los estudiantes de la opción de ciencias en BUP, entran principalmente en el COU a la opción B (Bio-Sanitaria), que considera uno de los ramas de la universidad en el momento preferidos por las mujeres, levantarse a las razas como enfermería o medicina.  El bachillerato LOGSE demuestra los datos similares a los de BUP y de COU.  En todas las modalidades, menos en tecnología, la presencia de mujeres está situada en superior del porcentaje a el que esta' de hombres, mientras que la humanidad y las ciencias sociales concentran el mayor número de muchachas, 64,47%, en comparación con 35,53 de atención masculina.

Violence in the classrooms

 It seems paradoxical that in our schools and institutes we celebrate the Peace Day when we are immersed in a big wave of youthful violence inside and outside school. Some days ago, in the Officers' Club of Revolutionary Armed Forces, two young boys gave a beat to Maximiano Ragman, university professor of the University of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. A classmate attacked Maxi in his young times in Santa Cruz, "by Goth ", according to seems. Which is a new return of nut in the subject of the youthful violence? This violence of the young people is being more dangerous in schools and institutes when they are teenagers.

In France, in year 2005, there were 80,000 cases of scholastic violence and of those cases 10,000 they were against professors. The peculiar thing is that in France there are at the moment thousands of professors in strike against the violence in the school because this is a right that recognizes the law there to them. In Spain, however, the professors get depressed because if they denounce the case our "Santa Inquisition” would persecute to them with viciousness and it would initiate investigation to them, as if they were guilty of something.                

Something Ethereal and indefinable that is not dwells than the fear of the Administration to the public denunciation. It is only necessary to see what him it has happened to a the delegate of the Government, who to say that he exists but scholastic violence in the Canary Islands of which he arises in you cold statistical of the Council of Education, have burned it in the bonfire  of the disqualifications It is certain that Canary he registers a low level of physical violence in the schools. But the scholastic violence cannot be reduced to Blow on the back of the neck or stumbles. The insults, the humiliations, the scorns, the psychological persecutions... undergo so much the students as the professors. It can that the case of Maximiano is isolated and infrequent, single five cases have occurred in 2005 in the Islands according to CC. OO, but the other violence is at your service of the day. There are many desperate professors by this situation; even orientation and psychologists of loss by depression; they arrive at class and nobody listens to them; after awhile the only thing which it leaves by his mouth it is: "shut up and go away" and if they get serious they pierce to him, "shut up, dog daughter"      

Are we prepared for this? I believe that we aren’t, frankly.

Police alertness in schools of Spain to avoid the sale or the consumption of drugs

 Before the pronounced increase in the consumption of drugs (especially cannabis) among students of Secondary registered in the last years, the Department of Security has bet for the police alertness in schools and high schools. A measure applauded by the majority of the educational community.

 Already more than 3.000 policemen have begun to watch educational centers to fight against the sale and the consumption of drugs (especially cannabis). The measurement is supported by the school and the parents, though the students doubt its efficiency.

 With this measurement the Spanish government tries to prevent that the teenagers begin consuming drugs (there is information that demonstrate that these begin between 14 and 15 years).

 The police presence won’t be equal in all the high schools because, though it isn’t possible to confirm, some zones of the country are more problematic. The offer of drug in the communities of the south of Spain is greater, because the cannabis is introduced there.

 Many students associations have doubted the efficiency of the plan, many people think that the solution to the problem of the drugs in case of the teenagers and students isn’t with police measures, but educative

  Most parents believe that it is a good plan, but they want that the alertness takes places  with discretion.

LAPLAND

 Johanna Taimi is a Finnish teacher from Ivalo. She is taking part in the Eyolicu project and is taking part in a teacher’s exchange with our school.

              On the 20^th of October 2006, Johanna Taimi, who spent a week with us, gave us a talk about Lapland. It was very interesting and it was in English. We could understand her very well.

 After listening to her, most of us were really interested in visiting that Finnish region one day...

 Here are some interesting points about her talk:

 Lapland is in the north of Finland (in the north of the Polar Circle). Its population is about 200,000 people. There are more reindeers than people (250,000). In Ivalo, the place where Johanna lives now, the population is 4,000 people.

 Finnish people think that there are six different seasons.

 ● Winter: Now it’s winter in Lapland. It started on the 21^st of September. For about six months there is snow and, every five years, the temperatures are -40ºC in winter. They are usually about -20ºC.

 * Kaamos: It’s the season when they don’t see the sun at all. It last  37 days.

 ● Spring: It’s in April and May. The snow melts down and there is a lot of water.

 ● Summer: It’s in June and July. Temperatures are about 20ºC and 25ºC and there are a lot of mosquitoes.

 * Midnight sun: It’s the season when it doesn’t get dark. They can see the sun all the day.

 ● Autumn: Tourists from the south of Finland travel there, to have a nice walk.

 You can drink water for the lakes and rivers.

 In Ivalo there is a lake longer than our island. There are two supermarkets, a clothes shop, a cash machine, a little hospital and a cinema. You have to drive 300 Km., if you want to go shopping.

All the TV programmes and films are in English.

 In Lapland there are a lot of wild animals and a lot of nature. 

Now we are showing the opinions of some Cuban students in our school:

MERCEDES, she is a Cuban girl who came from Cuba at the age of  5 with her parents and uncles.  She thinks Grand Canary is her home, and this is what she has said to us:

  -  Do you regret to have immigrated from Cuba?

No, because my standard of living has improved very much.

 -   And do you feel that this is your home?

My home is Grand Canary, but my land will be always Cuba.

 -   What do you miss from your country?

      My family. They are the most important and I do not have them next to me.

 -   Would you come back to Cuba?

 Only if my parents wanted to come back. Of course if the political system changes. I have already begun my life here and here I want to finish it.

 DAYRON is Cuban, He’s 15 years old and he has just arrived in the Canary Islands, he is facing many changes and he thinks…

  -  So that you came to the Canary Islands?

My country is not well, and the most similar place to Cuba where we can immigrate is The Canary Islands.

 -   What feeling did you have when you arrived here?

That the girls were beautiful … jajaja … the certain thing is that I liked it a lot. Here it is much cleaner and in better conditions.

 -   What do you think about Canarian people?

Here there is variety of races. There are people from everywhere. I feel one more.

  -      What is what you like most of the Canary Islands?

The free time!!! Here there are more possibilities for the leisure. 

CLAUDIA, Cuban girl of 15. She came to the Canary Islands at the age of 10 and she appreciates democracy very much.

-   Do you often travel to Cuba?  Why?

Only on holiday. I am going to see my family and to remember old times.

 -   Can you say a word to describe Cuba?.

Cuba is warm, not only by its climate but by its people. They are easy to love and difficult to forget.

 -    Do you often remember your country?

To be sincere not much. Here I am very happy and I am not homesick.

 -   Do your parents help your family of Cuba economically?

Every month. That is a moral commitment with them, then this aid is very necessary.