Activities

Maia Zoo school trip

On 29th May, at 2.30pm, a group of 47 students from 6th A, C, D, E and F, accompanied by 4 teachers, went to Maia Zoo, a place that plays a fundamental role in the conservation of biodiversity. Expectations were high and there was plenty of joy and excitement.

Along the way, everyone was able to see mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates and birds. The green monkey, the red-tailed monkey and the gibbon did their usual monkey business. The plains zebra proudly showed off its stripes, the tiger and lions lazily dozed in the sun, the Eurasian lynx didn’t show itself, the alpaca didn’t spit, so docile was it, the tricolour squirrel and Bennett’s kangaroo delighted everyone. The marmoset was very funny. Parrots, cockatoos and macaws proudly showed off their colours, the peacocks strutted their stuff and the royal duck and mandarin also wandered around, curious and unafraid.

As everyone had worked up an appetite, snacks followed in the picnic area and there was still time to play in the children’s playground. The trip to the zoo bar was fantastic and everyone had the chance to try a delicious ice cream.

To round off the visit, we visited the Skeletoland, Reptile and Noah’s Ark exhibitions.

As part of its educational programme developed for visitors and in particular schools, Maia Zoo, in partnership with the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, aims to educate, To raise awareness and develop positive values, attitudes and behaviours in defence of the protection of nature and its biodiversity, we were presented with a unique exhibition in the country entitled “Skeletoland”. The exhibition features 50 skeletons of various animals: reptiles, birds and mammals that amazed everyone, and the students asked several questions.

Reptiles always cause admiration and Maia Zoo has one of the largest collections of reptiles on the Iberian Peninsula in the Reptilearium. They were able to admire the Burmese python, the Royal python, the boa constrictor, the false Coral snake, the Texas rat snake, the Cuban Boa and the Yellow Anaconda.

In Noah’s Ark they saw tarantulas, poisonous snakes, piranhas and scorpions.

During the return journey, the tired students were already dreaming of the next visit.

Margarida Salazar

Our Artists

As usual, we are publishing the work done by the students throughout the school year in the area of Arts on the Wakelet platform, which can be accessed by grade using the links below.

5th grade – https://wakelet.com/wake/HID2n8JTAGxrsDEKFcItE

6th grade – https://wakelet.com/wake/XjF2Vgc7T_Od-hM9_OOFt

7th grade – https://wakelet.com/wake/5TJLHdc_KpqvJEkS8vRj3

8th grade – https://wakelet.com/wake/c3gpDAxs3V5dAUfoHySCO

9th grade – https://wakelet.com/wake/oYEa9BwWGXT8zX3WtcqUO

Congratulations to all the students for their work throughout the 2023/24 school year and happy holidays to all!

Global Action Days – 8th E

On 14th June, the 8th grade students received their diplomas for taking part in the Global Action Days, an initiative that involved various activities related to sustainability and the environment, fulfilling the proposals implemented for the DAC – Voice of the Environment project. This project aimed to sensitise the school community to the urgency of adopting sustainable lifestyles, to create more

responsible and participatory generations, and to contribute to more sustainable future choices. The students involved also increased their digital literacy and mastery of foreign languages, thus demonstrating a commitment to preserving the environment and promoting positive actions for the planet.

Congratulations to the students for their participation and dedication in these very important activities.

Climate Change Transition Literacy

On 31st May, students Gonçalo Pinheiro (8D) and Rodrigo Ramos (8F) put their faces to the project “” implemented in partnership by the CLIMATE CENTRE and the Rocha Peixoto Municipal Library in Póvoa de Varzim, supported by the European Cultural Foundation under the Europe Challenge Programme.

The young participants are the protagonists of a campaign to sensitise the community to the importance of climate action, based on the stories of citizens. In this case, the young people told their story as students who cycle to school as an alternative to using the car. The participation of the young public is extremely important, as the young people themselves are setting an example for their peers in their own terms. Participation consisted of a portrait and a conversation to build a small publication and posters to be publicised around the city of Póvoa de Varzim.

The presentation will take place on 20 July.

Thank you to the parents and guardians who allowed their children to share their experience in favour of a huge cause – CONSERVATION OF PLANET EARTH.

The Magic Firefly is back in our cluster!

Just as the light of a firefly appears magical in the darkness of night, so solidarity is. Every little gesture, every simple contribution from everyone is like a touch of magic that transforms the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.

The firefly is a symbol of this magic, which is not a transitory illusion, but a transformative alchemy.

In the year that marks the 50th anniversary of 25 April, CERCI and FENACERCI are highlighting the role of social solidarity cooperatives in building a more inclusive society.

This year, the colour of the Magic Firefly symbolically evokes the values of April:

White represents peace, a basic value for building a just and supportive society;

Yellow means light, optimism and joy.

April was the light that dispelled the darkness of dictatorship, which brought joy and hope.

Pirilampo Mágico is heir to that mobilising light and continues to perpetuate the values that resulted from that dawn of fireflies.

The Aver-o-Mar school group joined this cause to make dreams come true and promote equal opportunities and a better life for people with mental disabilities. The campaign ran from 9 May to 12 June.

440.10 euros were raised, with the participation of Aver-o-Mar School, Fieiro Elementary School, Aldeia Elementary School, Agro Velho Elementary School and Navais Elementary School.

Thank you to everyone!

GAMA and CAA

New Snoezelen room at Aldeia Elementary School

The pupils at EB Aldeia now have a small multi-sensory environment to stimulate their senses as well as their proprioception. Now our school is even more special!

The parents, teacher Marta Silva, physiotherapist Gisela Brito and the Aldeia Elementary School, with the money from the sale of produce from the greenhouse, bought various sensory materials/elements to create our adapted room that offers a host of sensory stimuli!

Learning Support Centre.mp4

Sustainable Project Developed by 8th graders (C and D)

Students from classes 8thC and 8thD took part in the eTwinning project “Sustainable Schools to Survive Climate Change”

This international initiative, which brings together schools from Vila do Conde, Spain and Turkey, has as its main objective to make students aware of the reality of climate change and the urgent need to adopt sustainable attitudes to reverse this worrying scenario.

Through this valuable international partnership, the students have developed both soft skills and essential hard skills. In terms of soft skills, competences such as teamwork, communication in English, creativity and critical thinking were emphasised. As for hard skills, the students worked with Information and Communication Technologies, including the use of videoconferencing tools, presentation software and online collaborative platforms.

On 3th May, a highlight of the project took place: an international online meeting that brought together all the project members. This virtual meeting provided a valuable exchange of ideas and sustainable practices between the participating schools, fostering an environment of collaboration and mutual learning.

With this project, students not only acquired important knowledge and skills, but also learnt to take on the role of agents of change in their community. The initiative not only enriched the school curriculum, but also fostered a critical and and proactive among young people, preparing them to face the environmental challenges of the future.

This eTwinning project shows how education can be a powerful tool for social and environmental transformation, empowering students to contribute to a more sustainable world.

INTERCULTURAL BRIDGES: Brazil, Latvia and Russia at the Aver-o-Mar Elderly Day Centre

The students who are part of the ‘Intercultural Bridges’ project at Aver-o-Mar School once again went to the Aver-o-Mar Occupational Centre to share the culture of Brazil and Latvia on the afternoon of 20 May 2024.

This time, a carer from Brazil, Jackelline Medeiros, accompanied her daughter, Luna Medeiros, and was thrilled to have the opportunity to do what she does best: teach! She told us that in Brazil she was a biology teacher. At the moment, in Portugal, she works in the catering industry, something she views positively, recognising that life as an immigrant is a mixture of a lot of resilience and adaptation, finally stressing that Póvoa de Varzim was the city that welcomed her and that, in fact, ‘It’s good to live here!’.

Both shared the gastronomy of their country, the landscapes (fauna and flora), ethnography and music, with the audience having the opportunity to dance to country music typical of their homeland, Pernambuco (northern Brazil) and to hum along to Roberto Carlos.

The elderly also had the opportunity to learn to speak Russian and Latvian, with a presentation by student Josué Ramos from Latvia. Although they were motivated, they realised how difficult it is to learn a new language, and some of the words they worked on stand out as examples: Hello = Privet (Russian); Sveiki (Latvian).

Latvia, formerly the USSR, still shares Russian influence, not least because most of its citizens speak Russian/Latvian. As a curiosity, the country has the largest waterfall in Europe, located in the town of Kuldiga.

Here are the photographic records of this third session of ‘Intercultural Bridges’, where we can see the attention, involvement, joy and emotion of the audience and speakers.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr Claúdia Vasconcelos and Dr Cátia Rosa, from the Aver-o-Mar Day Care Centre, for the bridges built, where interculturality has no barriers and is a universal language.

Andreia Teixeira

School Social Worker