This Tuesday was quite special for my Class 4 pupils - they joined their first online meeting with our eTwinning friends from Poland and Turkey. They presented our Christmas tradition, chanted, learned about Christmas tradition in Poland and Turkey, sang the Jingle Bells song, and the bravest ones introduced themselves and shared what they like.
It's that magical time of the year, the time to enjoy the celebrations with our family and friends, eat delicious cakes and listen to catchy Christmas songs.
The Twelve Days of Christmas, Silent Night, Frosty the Snowman, Let It Snow!, Winter Wonderland, Deck the Halls, Noel, are just some of the classics. Which is your favourite one? How about reading or playing it?
In some schools and countries, people traditionally organise the Ugly Christmas Jumper contest or party. What's your favourite Christmas tradition? Have you got a favourite ornament? What is it?
I like Christmas Eve very much. In our country children go from door to door and recite Christmas Eve poems. After that, people give them candies, chocolates, walnuts, or apples. I like Christmas because Jesus was born on that day.
Vukašin Badrljički, IV2
I like Christmas and decorating a Christmas tree. I like the Jingle Bells song.
Teodora Tomić, IV2
My favorite Christmas tradition is family lunch at my grandparents'. I really like that. My favorite Christmas song is We wish you a Merry Christmas. I like all Christmas ornaments.
Petra Milica Fazekaš, IV1
This is yet another catchy song my Class 2 pupils enjoy singing. It followed the lesson about toys.
Hey, Emma! What's your favourite toy? (2x)
My favourite toy isn't a plane.
It isn't a kite or a computer game.
My favourite toy!
Hey, Mike! What's your favourite number? (2x)
My favourite number isn't three.
Can you find it? Look at me!
My favourite number!
Hey, Emma! What's your favourite toy? (2x)
My favourite toy, my favourite toy,
My favourite toy's a go-kart.
That's smart!
Hey, Mike! What's your favourite number? (2x)
My favourite number. my favourite number,
My favourite number's eight.
That's great!
Later, I asked them to think of a new verse with colours, so we sang the personalised versions as well.
Hey, (pupil's name)! What's your favourite colour? (2x)
My favourite colour isn't ...,
It isn't ... or ... .
My favourite colour!
Hey, (pupil's name)! What's your favourite colour? (2x)
My favourite colour, my favourite colour,
My favourite colour's ... .
That's great!
A few years ago, my pupils enjoyed the book about Charlie from London and creating their own. That's why I've recently decided to share the whole series with my Class 4 pupils and encourage them to create their own stories using a new web tool.
Think about a special festival, tradition or celebration in our country. Describe it. Write about what food the people eat, what activities they do, the reason they celebrate it, the date and season the celebration takes place, and things like that. Include a title with your description.
You can design a poster or create a presentation in Canva if you like.
Jovana Karić, VI2
The biggest and the most interesting festival in Kikinda is the traditional Pumpkin Days. It takes place in the fall, the last weekend in September. There is a competition for the heaviest and longest pumpkins and some people sell pumpkin cakes and traditional souvenirs. There are various fun activities for children.
This festival is organised here because pumpkins grow here and they represent Kikinda.
Our town is famous and has a lot of tourists from different parts of Serbia and that's why I like it.
Teodora Čudan, VI1
Patron Saint's Day
Every Orthodox family in Serbia have their own Patron Saint's Day. Some of the biggest Patron Saint's Days are Saint Nicholas' Day celebrated on 19th December, Saint George's Day on 6th May, and the Day of Saint Paraskeva of the Balkans on 27th October.
My Patron Saint's Day is the Day of Saint Stephen of Dečani, celebrated on 24th November. When family and friends come, we serve them with ceremonial wheat (wheat, sugar, nuts). We light the candle and give the guests some ceremonial cake (some kind of bread) which we take to the church that morning. We eat some appetizer, and after that we eat some soup, cabbage rolls, lamb or pork and all kinds of salads. When we finish with the main meal, we eat some cakes. Our guests and we as their host hang out and enjoy singing and dancing.
Lara Avramov, VI2
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is on 6 January. You fast on that day. You don't eat any meat or sweets. For lunch, there is mostly some fish, dry white semolina or poppy seeds.
The day before Christmas, people prepare gifts for carolers, usually walnuts and sweets. On Christmas Eve, all the children get ready to go carolling. They prepare their boots, candy bags, jackets and hats. Basically, some children agree to go together in groups. They go from door to door, from street to street, knocking and asking, "Good evening, happy Christmas Eve! Do you receive the carolers?" If they get an affirmative answer they start carolling, and eventually they get a present. When the children get home, they show what they got and put the treats in a bowl for the next day.
Sara Stepanov, VI2
Christmas is celebrated on 7 January. It marks the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas straw is brought into the house and is not taken out until the holiday is over. People prepare some salad, roast meat, Christmas cake (česnica). Christmas is celebrated with the family.
Marina Veljin, VI1
Mia Pavlov, VI2
In groups or individually, my Class 6 pupils have recently read their first graded readers in English and presented them to their friends:
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| Nevena, I3 |
We also talked about the situations when they helped the others or somebody else helped them.
As a warm-up for their presentations of book reviews, I conducted an online poll among my Class 6 pupils which showed that the majority of them like action and adventure books, while some like comics and detective and mystery, and fantasy books.
I also asked them about their favourite time and place for reading books. And, if they could meet their favourite author or hero from a book, who that would be and what they would ask them.
Here are some of their answers:
My favourite place to read a book is my bed. I like when I get warm and cozy. I also like to read books in my free time.
I would like to meet Uroš Petrović and ask him:
1. How do you get an inspiration to write books?
2. What is your favorite book that you wrote and why?
3. How many books have you written?
4. Were you having fun while you were writing them?
Lara Avramov, VI2
My favourite place to read a book is under a tree when it's a bit windy and sunny. My favourite hero from a book is Hermione Granger. I'd like to ask her these questions:
- How do you always come up with a solution to a problem?
- If you and your friends were in trouble, what would you do? Would you protect them, attack the enemy or think of a solution that would do both?
- Are other students sometimes jealous of you being the best and does it bother you?
Jovana Karić, VI2
Most of all, I like to read early in the morning in my bed in silence. My favorite writer is the author of the book My Grandfather was a Cherry Tree, Angela Nanetti, and the hero - a boy named Tonino.
I would ask Angela:
- How did you come up with the idea to write the book My Grandfather Was a Cherry Tree?
- What's your favourite book?
- Where did you get your inspiration for writing?
I would ask Tonino:
- Who do you prefer, grandma or grandpa, from the village?
- How is the cherry tree today and do you climb it?
Teodora Nikolin, VI2
I like to read books on a couch while it's raining, I would like to meet Cristiano Ronaldo from the book Cristiano Ronaldo: The Rise of a Winner and I would ask him what it is like to be one of the best players in the world.
Marko Vidović, VI2
I like to read books on my bed when I have free time. I would like to meet Siniša Mihajlović from the book God's left foot and I would ask him what was his career like when he always scored with his 'magic' left foot.
Nikola Borić, VI2
My favourite place to read a book is my bed. My favourite writer is Desanka Maksimović. I like to read her books in my free time. And these are the questions I would ask her:
1. Why did you decide to be a writer?
2. What is your favourite book?
3. What is your favourite place to read a book?
4. At what age did you write your first book?
Anja Tunić, VI2
With their chosen partners, my younger pupils enjoyed creating cards for their friends from around Europe.