A Legend from My Country

Serbia is full of legends. Some of them are scary, the others mythical or with cute creatures.
This legend is about howlers. They are scary creatures from Serbia. There are not too many signs of them. Some people do not even know they exist.
In Zaječar, they have been seen a lot. A legend says that if someone sees them, that person will die the next day in huge pain.
Some howlers scream like a new born baby, and the others somewhat like a wolf or bear. Howlers look like small children, with no hair and some of them have long nails. Their skin is grey and they look like poor little children who are four years old.
If you hear a howler around your house, that means that someone in your house will die.
Today, this legend is not so scary and it is used to scare children not to stay too late outside. I think this legend is lame and interesting. This is my favourite legend so far.

Dušan Bačkuljin VIII1, 1 December 2015

There are a lot of myths and legends in my country. The most interesting for me is the legend about howlers.

A howler is a scary creature. Howlers are abandoned and unbaptized children in fact. A howler is a combination of a child, cat and wolf. Citizens and villagers say that there are a lot of them in the area of Zaječar. People describe them as white creepy monkeys. Their scream sounds like the cry of a child and barking of a wolf. A howler chooses his victims who are connected to him. He cannot be killed until he finds peace. When he screams around someone's house, that means somebody from that house will die. He is afraid of the light. He usually walks in the graveyard. He attacks his victims by choking them while they are asleep. When someone walks after midnight, he jumps on their backs and screams.

I do not believe in legends, but I enjoy listening to them.

Vlatko Vranjin VIII4, 3 December 2015

People in eastern Serbia believe in a lot of legends. They are especially afraid of the mythical creature - howler.

A howler is a small, ugly creature with gray fur and huge, long claws. It is very aggressive and angry. Its screams sound like a baby's cry and wolf's howl. 

Howlers appear at night, because they are scared of the daylight. They attack people near graveyards or in the forest. Howlers jump on people's backs, scratch their faces and pluck their hair. That sounds creepy and unbelievable!

There is no evidence of the existence of howlers. However, a lot of people are still scared of those terrible monsters.

Tijana Varađanin VIII2, 1 December 2015 

There are not too many legends in my country, but they are interesting.

Howlers are small creatures, with big claws, small eyes and really fast. According to a legend, they live in the woods around villages.

There are rumours that they sometimes live in people's attics. They always make a strange noise, like scratching and walking. 

There have been some reports of eyewitnesses and of their attacks. They are mostly active at night. 

There were no investigations about these creatures. One of the eyewitnesses said that he had seen a dog-looking creature on the road, with no hair, with big claws and small black eyes. The devious creature jumped on the car and started scratching the windshield. The person pulled the car brake, the creature fell off the car and ran back to the woods, looking for his next victim.

I was pretty scared of this story when I was a child, and I still am.

Dragan Hercegan VIII2, 3 December 2015

There are a lot of legends in my country, but I find the legend about Sava Savanović most interesting.
Sava Savanović is said to have lived in an old water mill. It is said that he killed and drank blood of the millers who came to the water mill.
In other cultures, vampires are usually plain and slim, but in my country, vampires are tall, plump and strong.
A lot of people say that they saw Sava drink children's blood and strangle young women. It is said that there are a lot of witnesses to Sava's attacks. If you ask people near Bajina Bašta about Sava, you will get the most information about him, his attacks, tragedies and much more.
Legends from my country are super interesting and full of mysteries. I recommend everyone to explore other mysteries, because it can be fun, intense and very interesting.

Lazar Turudija VIII1, 3 December 2015

There are a lot of interesting legends in my country, but I think that the most interesting one is about our very first vampire, Sava Savanović.

Sava Savanović lived in a small village in Serbia, called Zarožje. 

Legend has it that he became a vampire after his wife's death. People from the village started hearing strange noises and sounds coming from the watermill. A couple of people wanted to investigate the water mill, so they went inside. Nobody saw them again. 

Legend has it that Sava would kill and drink the blood of everyone who came to the water mill. 

This legend was so interesting that it even inspired a horror film called 'A Butterfly'.

Kosana Jakonić VIII4, 1 December 2015

In my country, there are a lot of legends and fairytales. Our most famous one is about Mark the Prince.

Marko the Prince is an epic hero who appears in the late Middle Ages. Marko was tall and well-built. He had long brown hair, brown eyes and of course his long brown moustaches. Marko wore a wolf-skin cap, wolf-skin cloak, a red dolman and black leather boots. He had a sabre, a lance, a shield and his famous war hammer. 

He also had a horse, his most trusted and loyal friend, Šarac, who was famous for his multicoloured skin. In one story, Marko gave half of his wine to Šarac before the battle. 

There are a lot of stories and poems abou Marko the Prince, like: Marko the Prince plowing, Marko the Prince and the Eagle, Marko the Prince and the Fairy and a lot more.

I like Marko the Prince because he is a fair, righteous, just, brave and amusing knight.

Marko Dejanović VIII4, 1 December 2015

Serbia is a country with a lot of urban legends and myths. Some of them are true, others are false, but there is one legend that every citizen of Serbia knows. It is the legend of Marko the Prince.

Marko the Prince was a national hero who fought Turkish people in the 14th century. He was of medium height with a lot of muscles. Some say that Marko was so strong that he once squeezed a dead bush. He had dark black hair, brown eyes, a big black beard with thin black moustaches. 

Marko the Prince was known as 'the man who could do anything.' He would carry a lot of weapons. One of them was a sword which he used to fight against his enemies. The second weapon was a mace which he used to fight against wild animals if they attacked him. If the battle was far away, he would mount his horse Šarac  and got there in no time.

Marko the Prince was everyone's favourite hero because he was brave and would help anybody.

Stefan Vujić VIII3, 3 December 2015

In my country, there are a few legends I know of. One hero who is in most stories is the best for me.

Marko the Prince is the biggest hero in our stories. He was the strongest and biggest man. He pulled trees out of the ground with his bare hands, threw stones and cut them in pieces with his sword. While he was walking he was building mountains.

Marko was the son of King Vukašin Mrnjavčević. In 1371, the soldiers from Turkey killed his family on the Maritsa River in Bulgaria.

Marko lived like a free swordsman. He protected poor, weak people.

Marko carried his mace to battles. Everyone was scared of his mace. His weapon was the strongest. 

Šarac was his horse. They were best friends.

This hero died a natural death and was buried in a Mount Athos monastery.

People say that he is not dead. In fact, Marko is still alive in rhymes. I like him and he is the hero for me and my grandpa. He is our hero.

Luka Važić VIII2, 1 December 2015

One of the most famous legends from my country is the story about Devil's Town. It is situated in the south of Serbia, in Kuršumlija. 

Once upon a time, there lived humble, happy, peaceful and to faith committed people. Devil did not like it. He wanted to destroy the harmony. So he made some poisonous potion. When people drank  it, they would forget about their family relationships and get married to their own brothers and sisters. The fairy, who some people still believe exists and protects the Town, prayed to God to stop the wedding. God sent a breeze to turn them into stones so the sin could stop.

Devil's Town is a popular tourist attraction and a lot of people visit it during the year.

Nataša Urošev VIII3, 3 December 2015

My Dream Holiday

I like travelling, especially to foreign countries. Some of those places I want to visit are a few cities in Tuscany.
Florence is a beautiful city with nobles' houses, churches, ancient roads, magnificent buildings and other fantastic sights. Near the Arno River is the Medici Palace, the house of Florentine Grand Duke Cosmo. In the square, there is a big statue of David, made by Michelangelo, and the museum  of the famous artist Leonardo da Vinci.
Rome is the capital city of Italy. This city is the cradle of the Italian history. In the centre of the city, there is the Colosseum, gladiators' area. The Tiber Island is a big island near the centre. In the past, you could ride a horse through the city. Rome consists of two parts, the city of Rome and the Vatican City.
The Vatican City is a town-country. It is very small, but very famous because of the Pope, the Catholics' head master. The Pope lives in a beautiful building called Apostolic Palace, or Papal Palace. People also like to visit the Castle of Saint Angel and Saint Peter's Square full of statues.
Tuscany is beautiful, but very expensive. I hope to visit it one day.

Filip Dmitrović VIII3, 3 December 2015 

Dear Noa,

I'm having a fantastic time in Paris. The weather is lovely here, so we spend most of the time outdoors. The hotel where we're staying is magnificent and we're in a room with an amazing view.

We came last Sunday and have already seen a lot of interesting places. Last Friday we went to the Eiffel Tower. The view from the top was fantastic so I took some pictures. After that, mum and I went shopping. We bought lots of clothes and great stuff. 

The Triumphal Arch is breathtaking. I've asked one man to take a picture of us together. The picture turned out great.

We haven't visited the Louvre and haven't seen Notre Dame, yet. We're going there tomorrow. I'm so excited.

We're coming home next weekend, and I can't wait to tell you everything about my trip.

See you soon!

With love,

Daca

Danijela Lisulov VIII3, 3 December 2015

My dream has always been to visit Paris.
Paris is a lovely city. It is like the home of fashion, history, culture and more.
If I ever visited Paris, I would go to the Louvre first. It seems like a beautiful museum. Then, I'd go to Disneyland, which they call 'the home of magic' in a commercial. The Notre Dame Cathedral looked really magnificent in the picture I'd seen. I hope that is what it looks like from the inside.
Paris is the home of fashion. So, shopping in Paris seems like a really good idea.
I would also like to see the Triumphal Arch. That is a beautiful monument.
Visiting the Pantheon is a great idea too. And, of course, how could I forget, the symbol of Paris, the Eiffel Tower.
The bridges on the Seine River are made perfectly. Couples can lock their love on one of the them. I would also like to see that.
Paris is the most beautiful city and it has always been like that to me.

Ninoslava Marinkov VIII1, 3 December 2015

Dear Melissa.

I'm writing from the beautiful city of Vienna, to let you know more things about this city. I hope you'll like them.

It's very hot and sunny and I'm drinking lemonade with my family. We have been here since Friday and have already done lots of interesting things.

Yesterday we went to Schönbrunn Palace. It was so beautiful and very big, with lots of flowers in different colours and shapes around it. My dad told me the history behind this palace. It was very interesting. Then, we went to the zoo, which is located next to the palace. There were lots of animals, from small insects to tall giraffes. My favourite part was when we were feeding small monkeys and took a photo with them. They were so happy.

We haven't visited the St Stephen's Cathedral and the city centre and we haven't been to Prater Park. We're going there tomorrow.

We're coming back on Monday, so then I'll tell you everything that happened to me.

See you soon,

Daniela

Daniela Marton, VIII5

Dear everyone,

We've arrived in Venice. It's the city on water. It's fantastic here. We're going to stay in a nice hotel.

First of all we're going to do a lot of sightseeing. We're going to visit St Mark's Basilica, the church of Santa Maria della Salute, Doge's Palace and the Rialto Bridge. My sister can't wait to go shopping. There are some great shops here.

I'm going to taste as many local dishes as possible, like spaghetti, pizza and lasagna. They say the food in Venice is fabulous. 

Venice is the city of romance. You should come, too.

Talk to you when we get back,

Milan

Milan Jakšić, VIII2

A Day to Remember

These days I am looking at my photos from seven years ago. Then, I suddenly remembered my experience at the pool in Ada.
It was a very hot summer. The weather was gorgeous. I went on a trip with my family. My sister and I were swimming in a small pool. All day we were diving, playing volleyball and dive-bombing. I jumped into the water with a swim ring, but  slipped and fell on my head. I was terrified and started struggling. I thought that I was drowning and I gasped for air. Suddenly, I felt someone pulling me out of the water. I was confused and horrified at the same time. My heart was beating rapidly. I was in my father's arms and I felt safe.

Tijana Varađanin, VIII2

One of the best days of my life was when I played a game for the selection of Vojvodina.

About a year ago, my coach chose me to be one of two players who would represent my team in a match in Novi Sad, where the best young players from Vojvodina were divided. 

The coach of the best football team gave us a few pieces of advice about strategy and decided who should play in which position. I was very nervous because I knew it was important to play well. But, when I got out on the field, I forgot everything and started playing the best I could. 

In the second half of the match, I scored a goal. After the match, the coach of the selection gave me a present. I was the best player of the match! 

I could not believe all that was true. The newspapers wrote about this. It was a really special day for me.

Viktor Molnar, VIII2

I think that I will not forget that day for a long time. 

It was very nice weather and my friends and I went to catch some fish. Early in the morning we took our bikes and went for a ride. During our ride a few dosg were chasing us. We were lucky, we were faster.

After half an hour, we found a place near the water. Suddenly, stormy clouds came. There was lightning and hard thunders, followed by heavy rain. We did not know where to go. We saw a house. With no doubt, we agreed that it would be our shelter. When we arrived, there was a big surprise waiting for us. Those few dogs also came there. We did not say a word. the dogs were also quiet. we were all wet and not in the mood to argue.

Bojana Groza, VIII4

There is a day I will always remember, because my female dog named Luna gave birth to her six puppies.

My dad noticed that Luna had had a  big stomach. We thought she was just overweight. It turned out very soon that she was just pregnant. 

Finally, the day when she gave birth to her puppies came. Her labour started early in the morning and I was next to Luna until it was time to go to school. Unfortunately, I was in the morning shift that week. Luckily, my dad was at home the whole morning, right by Luna's side. Around noon two veterinarians came to assist with the labour. I came back home around 1 p.m. and rushed to Luna immediately. The moment I saw six cute puppies a few tears of joy ran down my cheeks. It was love at first sight.

It was a beautiful day to me and my family because our dog Luna became a proud mother. Every time I think of this day, my heart feels lovely.

Emilija Mijandžić, VIII4

You think that nothing bad could happen to you? Bad things happen to other people. But don't be so sure. I found that out last Friday.

I was coming home with my mum from the doctor's. When we arrived, I smelt smoke. Then we heard our neighbour shouting for help. we ran outside and saw the neighbour trying to enter his house but he couldn't from all the smoke and fire. My mum called the firefighters. The neighbour said that they should better hurry because there was a butane bottle inside. I was scared that it would explode.

The firefighters came and put out the fire. The neighbour said that he wanted to bake some meat, but his neighbour called him to have some coffee and when he came back, the house was on fire.

I'm glad that I survived and because the butane did not explode. I'm a bit shocked, but ok.

Jožef Horvat, VIII5

Meet Me

Dear friend,
Thanks for your letter. I'm fine, how are you?
First of all, let me tell you about myself. I am 14 years old. I live in Kikinda, Serbia.
I have green eyes. My hair is short and brown. My lips are thin.
I am above all honest. I am a good friend and very friendly person. I always help the others if I can. My friends think I am shy, just because I do not like being in the centre of attention. Sometimes I am impatient and stubborn. I do not change my mind easily. I believe that life is ahead of me and I have some time to change for the better.
There are four people in my family. My favourite person is my dad. We like spending time together.
I am a student of both Sveti Sava Primary School and Slobodan Malbaški Music school. I play the accordion and I love singing.
My school starts at 8 o'clock in the morning and at 1 o'clock in the afternoon. I come back home at 1.30 in the afternoon or 6.30 in the evening. I go to school by bike or on foot. I usually do my homework after school.
That is all about me.
Hear from you soon,
Nevena

Nevena Milovanov VIII3, 3 December 2015

Hello Steve,

My name is Igor. I'm 14 years old. I was born on 30 October, on Halloween, spooky, isn't it?

I live in a small town in Serbia. That town is Kikinda. 

I go to Sveti Sava Primary School. 

I have an older sister. When I was 3 years old, my sister was jealous, because I had a lot of toys. She stole them, so we fought a lot over them. But now, she misses me, because she is a student at the University of Novi Sad. I love her so much.

I'm a very positive and friendly person. I love dancing and singing. 

As for the bad sides of my personality, I have a bad temper and fight with all my friends, neighbours and sometimes even teachers. 

I have a lot of friends, but my best ones are Luka and Ivan. The people who mean a lot in my life are: my mum, dad, my sister Sanja, cousin Dejana and the most important person in my life is girlfriend Mia. 

That's all about me.

Hear from you soon.

Best wishes,

Igor

Igor Zagorac VIII1, 3 December 2015

Dear Pedro,

Thanks for your letter. I hope we will get to be great friends.

First of all, I would like to tell you a few things about myself. I'm 14 years old and I live in Kikinda, Serbia. My mum is a housewife. She does her best to make the entire family comfortable. My dad is the money-maker. He rents sound equipment, works as an audio engineer and a musician. I also have a baby brother, Gabriel, who is 2 years old.

My favourite free time activity is surfing the web and reading music catalogues, among other things. I like all kinds of music and the only real criterion is whether it is good or not. I also play tennis and have lessons on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.
What about you? What are your interests?

Please, write soon.

Yours, 

Kristian

Kristian Balaž, VIII2

Favourite Team Sports

Write about your favourite team sport. 
Here are a few tips:

• Where do you play this sport?
• How many players are there in each team?
• What equipment do you need?
• How long is a match / How many minutes do you play?
• How do you get points?
• What are the rules?

A Teen Camp

Imagine you're the manager of a teen camp. Design a leaflet to advertise your camp. Don't forget to include the following:

- the name of the camp,

- what type of camp it is (sports, arts, technology, adventure),

- what activities someone can do there,

- who it is suitable for (age of participants, interests),

- dates it is open,

- fees (if it's not free).

Kristian's Exploration Camp

type: adventure
activities: exploring the local forest
age: 11-15 years old
dates: 1-10 August

Kristian's Exploration Camp is a teen camp on Kopaonik Mountain which lasts 10 days. The kids can wake up any time they want under the condition to arrive on time for breakfast which starts at 8 a.m. At 11 o'clock we are going for a walk around the forest and having lessons about the nature's wonders. We will come back to camp at 6 p.m.

For more information, call us at: 333-444-5555.

Kristian Balaž, VIII2

Muffin's Camp

type: sport

activities: playing any kind of sports

age: 6-17 

dates: 1 July - 15 August

If you want to have the unforgettable summer, you need to come to Muffin's Sport Camp. It is on Mountain Zlatibor in Serbia.
This camp is for boys and girls who are between 6 and 17 years old. Here you can do any kind of sports. You can swim, play volleyball, football, handball or basketball. Also, the camp has a room with computers. Every evening we have parties around the pool.
The camp is open from July 1st to August 15th. Two-week session costs 250 € and four-week session costs 450 €.
Come and spend your best summer in Muffin's Sport Camp.

Anja Berić, VIII2

Summer Camp in Zlatibor

type: adventure

activities: sleeping in a tent, lighting fire, riding a horse, visiting the Potpeć Cave, learning about mushrooms and herbs

age: 10-15 years old

dates: June 20th - July 1st

cost: 250 €

Are you afraid of sleeping in a dark forest with lots of insects? If you aren't, come to summer camp in the nature! 

There are lots of things to do:

- learn about mushrooms and herbs

- sleep on a tent

- visit the Potpeć Cave

- learn how to light fire

- ride a horse

You can come between June 20th to July 1st or August 15th to August 26th.

The camp costs 250 € and it's for the children who are 10-15 years old.

Tijana Varađanin, VIII2

Milan's Summer Camp

Welcome to Milan's Summer Camp! It's an adventure camp. It starts on 1st June and ends on 27th August. It's the camp for those who are 13 to  19 years old. 

In this camp, you can go swimming, rafting, scuba-diving or hiking. In July, you can go to Disneyland, but you must pay £100 if you want to stay 2 weeks. You can go on a trip to the countryside if you like planting flowers and trees. You'll go to the museum and see a lot of sculptures and souvenirs. This is very interesting. You'll probably have a great time. In the end, you'll go to the cinema and watch action films, like Transformers or Iron Man.

Milan Jakšić, VIII2

Summer Sport Camp

type: sport

activities: playing volleyball, football, basketball

age: 11-15 years old

dates: 1st July to 20th July

Are you looking for something exciting to do this summer? Yes, then come to Summer Sport Camp on Mountain Tara. 

Visit the National Park Tara with us, play volleyball, basketball and football. Those who don't like these types of sports can go hiking in the mountains. We also have a snack between the visit to the National Park and activities. 

This camp is for children aged 11 to 15 years and costs 3,000 dinars. 

The camp starts on 1st July and ends on 20th July. 

Be sure to visit our camp because you will have a great time and get to know Mountain Tara better.

Ivana Varađanin, VIII2

School of Shooting

type: shooting camp

activities: shooting

age: 12-25 years

dates: 1-31 July

If you're interested in guns and would like to learn how to use them, sign up!

in our camp, we learn the basics of shooting, but also play, socialize, have fun and much more. 

Anyone aged 12 to 25 years may participate. 

The camp runs from 1 to 31 July and it's free!

Milica Vesin, VIII2

WEG 2015

Thanks to a Maths colleague of mine, several of my older students have participated in this year's World Education Games and competed against students around the world in Spellodrome and Mathletics.  Judging by their reactions during and after this online competition, my students found it amusing and fun.