2016-2017

We hope everyone had a very good suummer break,  and that we are all ready for a wonderful year.During the 2016- 2017 school year, we will continue with our blog, expecting you all enjoy it.

AUTUMNAL EQUINOX

The Autumnal Equinox is observed annually when the sun can be seen directly overhead along the equator, marking the end of summer and beginning of fall in the Northern Hemisphere.

The autumn equinox is one of two days when all points on Earth except the polar regions see the sun rise and set at due east and due west. With few exceptions, all latitudes see almost exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 of dark.

Seasons are opposite on either side of the Equator, so the equinox in September is also known as the Autumnal (fall) equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphee, it's known as the Vernal (spring) equinox.

Equinox Local Time & Date

September Equinox in Madrid, Spain is on Thursday 22nd september 2016, 16:21

 Sun Crosses Celestial Equator

The September equinox occurs the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator – the imaginary line in the sky above Earth’s Equator – from north to south.

On any other day of the year, either the southern hemisphere or the Northern Hemisphere tilts a little towards the Sun. But on the two equinoxes, the tilt of Earth's axis is perpendicular to the Sun's rays, like the illustrations show. 

Earth orbits the Sun at a slant, which is why equinoxes and solstices happen

10 Facts About the First Day of Autumn

1. It's the Second Equinox of the Year

The September equinox is on or around September 22, while the first equinox of the year, the March Equinox, takes place on or around March 21 every year. It marks the Southern Hemisphere's autumnal, or fall, equinox and the Northern Hemisphere's spring equinox.

2. It's Time to Say Goodbye to Summer...

...in the Northern Hemisphere. Astronomically, the September equinox is the autumnal equinox, marking the end of summer and the beginning of fall (autumn). The fall season ends onDecember Solstice, when astronomical winter begins.

For meteorologists, on the other hand, fall in the Northern Hemisphere begins about three weeks before the September equinox on September 1 and ends on November 30.

3.Southern Hemisphere Welcomes Spring

The September equinox is also known as the vernal or spring equinox in the Southern Hemisphere and is considered by astronomers as the first day of spring there.

4.The Equinox is a Specific Moment...

Contrary to popular belief, equinoxes are no day-long events, even though many cultures choose to celebrate it as such. Instead, they occur at the exact moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator – the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s Equator. At this instant, the Earth's rotational axis is neither tilted away from nor towards the Sun.

5 ...And its Date Can Vary

The equinox dates vary because of the difference between how the Gregorian calendar defines a year (365 days) and the time it actually takes for the Earth to complete its orbit around the Sun (about 365 and 1/4 days). This means that each September equinox occurs about 6 hours later than the previous year's September Equinox. This eventually moves the date by a day.

6, Equal Day and Night...

The term equinox comes from the Latin words aequus, meaning equal and nox, meaning night. This has led to the conventional wisdom that everybody on Earth experiences equal day and night – 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night time – on the day of the September equinox.

7. ...But Not Quite

In reality, most places on Earth enjoy more than 12 hours of daylight on this day. This is because of two reasons: the way sunrise and sunset are defined and atmospheric refraction of sunlight.

8.Time Between Successive Moonrises Becomes Shorter

The full Moon closest to the September equinox, which is also known as Harvest Moon in the Northern Hemisphere, is astronomically special. This is because the time between one moonrise to another around this period becomes shorter.

On average, the Moon rises about 50 minutes later every day in a lunar month – the time period between two full Moons or two new Moons. Around the Harvest Moon, the time difference between two successive moonrises decreases to about 30-40 minutes for a few days.

9. Prepare for Northern Lights

As the September equinox rolls by, the chances that one can catch the aurora borealis display increases for those located at high Northern Hemisphere latitudes. According to NASA, the equinoxes are prime time for Northern Lights – geomagnetic activities are twice more likely to take place in the spring and fall time, than in the summer or winter.

10. It is Celebrated Around the World

Many cultures around the world hold feasts and celebrate festivals and holidays to mark the September equinox.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
25 November

“Everyone has a responsibility to prevent and end violence against women and girls, starting by challenging the culture of discrimination that allows it to continue."

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Why This International Day?

• Violence against women is a human rights violation
  

• Violence against women is a consequence of discrimination against women, in law and also in practice, and of persisting inequalities between men and women
  

• Violence against women impacts on, and impedes, progress in many areas, including poverty eradication, combating HIV/AIDS, and peace and security
  

• Violence against women and girls is not inevitable. Prevention is possible and essential
  

• Violence against women continues to be a global pandemic.
  

The Issue

A staggering one in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime—a pandemic of global proportions. Unlike an illness, however, perpetrators and even entire societies choose to commit violence—and can choose to stop. Violence is not inevitable – it can be prevented. But it’s not as straightforward as eradicating a virus. There is no vaccine, medication or cure. And there is no one single reason for why it happens.

As such, prevention strategies should be holistic, with multiple interventions undertaken in parallel in order to have long-lasting and permanent effects. Many sectors, actors and stakeholders need to be engaged. More evidence is emerging on what interventions work to prevent violence—from community mobilization to change social norms, to comprehensive school interventions targeting staff and pupils, to economic empowerment and income supplements coupled with gender equality training.
Prevention is the 2015 theme of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November and of the UNiTE to End Violence against Women Campaign’s 16 days call for action. This year, at the official commemoration at UN Headquarters in New York, the first UN Framework on Preventing Violence against Women will be launched and discussed (ECOSOC Chamber; 10 a.m.–12 noon). This document stems from the collaboration of seven UN entities: UN Women, ILO, OHCHR, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA and WHO. The framework develops a common understanding for the UN System, policymakers and other stakeholders on preventing violence against women and provides a theory of change to underpin action.

16 days to “Orange the world”

From 25 November through 10 December, Human Rights Day, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence aim to raise public awareness and mobilizing people everywhere to bring about change. This year, the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign invites you to “Orange the world,” using the colour designated by the UNiTE campaign to symbolize a brighter future without violence. Organize events to orange streets, schools and landmarks!

- See more at: http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/end-violence-against-women#sthash.FAvCgGcc.dpuf

Father's Day in the United States is on the third Sunday of June. It celebrates the contribution that fathers and father figures make for their children's lives.

There are a range of events, which may have inspired the idea of Father's Day. One of these was the start of the Mother's Day tradition in the first decade of the 20th century. Another was a memorial service held in 1908 for a large group of men, many of them fathers, who were killed in a mining accident in Monongah, West Virginia in December 1907.

A woman called Sonora Smart Dodd was an influential figure in the establishment of Father's Day. Her father raised six children by himself after the death of their mother. This was uncommon at that time, as many widowers placed their children in the care of others or quickly married again.

Sonora was inspired by the work of Anna Jarvis, who had pushed for Mother's Day celebrations. Sonora felt that her father deserved recognition for what he had done. The first time Father's Day was held in June was in 1910. Father's Day was officially recognized as a holiday in 1972 by President Nixon.

Father's Day is a day for fathers and father-like figures.

What do people do?

Father's Day is an occasion to mark and celebrate the contribution that your own father has made to your life. Many people send or give cards or gifts to their fathers. Common Father's Day gifts include sports items or clothing, electronic gadgets, outdoor cooking supplies and tools for household maintenance.

Father's Day is a relatively modern holiday so different families have a range of traditions. These can range from a simple phone call or greetings card to large parties honoring all of the 'father' figures in a particular extended family. Father figures can include fathers, step-fathers, fathers-in-law, grandfathers and great-grandfathers and even other male relatives. In the days and weeks before Father's Day, many schools and Sunday schools help their pupils to prepare a handmade card or small gift for their fathers.

 

     2014 - 2015

Welcome back to a new and exciting school year!                  

 We all hope that you have had a wonderful summer and are ready to begin. We are really sure this year will be full of new learning experiences and discoveries.

We would especially like to welcome all new pupils and families to our blog which we expect you find interesting.

 

 

 

 

XXII  WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES

 

7 th February to 23 February

 

 

The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially the XXII Olympic Winter Games, or the 22nd Winter Olympics, are scheduled to take place from 7 to 23 February 2014, in Sochi, Russia, with some events held in the resort town of Krasnaya Polyana.

The city of Sochi is situated on the coast of the Black Sea – close to the state of Georgia. It is the longest city – about 90 miles along the sea coast and is quite well known for all its resorts. It will play host to the 22nd Winter Olympiad as well as the Paralympic Winter Games for the first time in 2014. Construction is under way to host different events – fifteen major winter sports will consist of over 90 different events. Many new venues are being built in the resort town of Krasnaya Polyana as well as in the Imeretin Valley.

 

Selection:

Cities are chosen well in advance so that they have enough time to put infrastructure in place, to host the games. Cities usually lobby the IOC to host the games – Sochi was picked over Guatemala City.

Mascots:

Every Olympiad has a Mascot which is chosen by popular ballot – this time, there are three. The Polar Bear, Hare and Leopard were chosen to represent the games as they are indigenous to the region.

 

 

 

Featured Disciplines:

Fifteen different events have been included for the 2014 Winter Olympics. They are as follows:

·         Skating: Figure, Short track and speed skating

·         Skiing: Alpine, Freestyle, Cross country, Nordic Combined, Snow Barding and Ski Jumping

·         Bob Sleigh and Skeleton

·         Other events include Curling, Hockey, Biathlon and Luge.

Over a dozen new events are being added this year. The IOC has approved the inclusion of the following events in the official program:

·         Figure Skating teams

·         Ski Jumping for Women

 

·         Biathlon Mixed Relays

·         Luge Team Relays

·         Ski half pipe

·         Slope style skiing and snowboarding

·         Snowboard parallel slalom