US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS - TUESDAY, FEB. 5 2008 : SUPER TUESDAY

Super Tuesday refers to the Tuesday in early february of a presidential election when the greatest number of states hold primary elections to select delegates to national conventions at which each party's presidential candidates are officially nominated.

More delegates can be won on Super Tuesday than on any other day of the primary calendar and presidential candidates must do well on this day to secure their party's nomination.

Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama are still in the race to represent their party while John McCain and Mike Huckabee compete to be chosen as republican candidates.

MY PARENTS AND ME ( Teresa - 3°6)

My name is Teresa. I'm going to tell you about my relationships with my parents.
I think my parents are nice. I get on well with them. Of course, I have to do some chores, like emptying or filling the dishwasher, setting the table, doing the laundry ( but it's not that hard to do; I think it's good to help one's parents ).
However, I don't have to hoover, clean the house or sweep the floor or tidy my room ( I do this by myself !). I'm supposed to help at home sometimes, to look after my five-year-old brother. He's so nice though, I really enjoy doing this ! I'm allowed to go out, to go shopping with my friends on saturdays. But in the evening, I can't go out, to parties, for example. If I want to go, my parents want someone to accompany me, and someone, an adult, to watch over me. I don't like this. I have to respect the hours that my mother imposes to me. I can't get out late in the evening, at the latest until 6.30 pm.
Sometimes, I'm sick and tired of this situation. My parents should trust me more instead of treating me like a child. I'm fifteen ! In spite of that, I know my life is" abed of roses". I'm very lucky.

MY LIFE IS A "BED OF ROSES" ( Elisa-3°6)

I get on very well with my mother, although sometimes, I clash with her. She's not very authoritarian with me. She wants me to work harder at home to have better results at school. She wants me to do my homework seriously and everyday.
She likes my friends and I can go to the cinema or shopping with them, but I have to come back home before nightfall, otherwise she is worried.
I can play on my computer or chat with my friends, but not for a long time.
I have to set and clear the table every day and it's boring. My mother wants me to tidy my room as well, and I hate that. But she doesn't ask me to clean the house because I do it badly, according to her.
I have never wanted to leave home because I love my mother even if sometimes she treats me like a little child and I don't like it.
I think my mother is more liberal than my friends' mothers.
To conclude, we can say my life is "a bed of roses".

Part-time jobs after school ( Johan- 3°6)

According to me, a part-time job after school isn't that good, because after school you are tired and you can't work properly. Furthermore, if you have a lot of homework, it's difficult to do it after a long school day and to work part time on top of that. Then , in the morning, you can't be attentive in class and if you're not concentrated, you can't get good marks.
I think that if you're a good pupil although you work part time, you're very lucky. However, if you aren't interested in school, getting a part-time job may be a good idea because you can earn some money and see what working life is like and that's a good thing.
So, I think that if you want to do long studies and have good grades, I advise you not to take a part-time job. But otherwise, It might be a positive experience.

IT'S GREAT TO HAVE A JOB....( Christina - 3°4 )

I think it's great to have a job while you are a student. Finally, you can earn your own money ! You don't have to ask your parents for money any more. It changes your perspectives in life. You will get more responsibilities. You will see that you will think twice before spending money on something you don't really need.
A job during school time is hard work for you. That's why it's better to get a job while you're on holiday. You will discover that your parents will treat you as if you were an adult. They will trust you more and you will have more self-confidence. Finally, you will be prouder of yourself.
After school, I do some baby-sitting. And I am very happy because this is a form of independence.
And when you earn money and you buy things, you tell yourself that you have purchased it and not your parents.

GETTING AN ODD JOB- PROS AND CONS ( Anne-Charlotte-3°4)

On the one hand, I think it's a good thing for students to get a part-time job after school for they can earn some extra money to pay for their studies for example. Indeed, some schools that have a good reputatin are very expensive and parents can't always pay all the fees.
By working, those students get some extra money to buy clothes and books, for example. So, they can feel responsible and less dependent on their parents.
Students from poor families can help their parents to pay the rent and the taxes.
On the other hand, having a part-time job can present many drawbacks. Indeed, if a student works too much or too late, he won't be fit enough and will feel tired the following day. Therefore, he won't be able to attend the classes or to study properly.
As a consequence, his results may get worse and worse and in the end, the student might fail at his exams.

STUDENTS AND PART-TIME JOBS (Andréa - 3°4)

As for me, getting a part-time job after school is a good thing because it allows you to become autonomous and responsible. For example, you have to make decisions and you mustn't be late. You earn your own money, therefore you needn't ask pocket money to your parents and it shows you how difficult it is to earn money.
I reckon that having a part-time job is a great experience for the future since it enables you to discover what working life is like.
Nevertheless, you must be careful not to neglect your studies. Having a part-time job means being tired and having less time to do one's homework. Moreover, you have less time to devote to your hobbies too, like going to the cinema, going shopping....
To conclude, although having a part-time job presents some inconveniences, I am positive that it's a very good experience.

WORKING AS A SHOP ASSISTANT ( Francisco -3°4)

I'm going to tell you about the training course I went on two months ago in Décathlon. It was a great experience which gave me an insight into the job of a shop assistant.
I worked from monday to friday for a week. My bosses made me learn my job really well. On the first day, they knew how to put me at ease and it really helped me to work. I worked in the department of team sports and in there, you can find outfits to play soccer, rugby, baseball, handball and basketball.
During the first day, my bosses asked me to put away the balls, the shoes, the socks and the sports bags. I was allowed to take an hour and a half off to have lunch and get some rest. In the afternoon, I advised the customers. This is what I did during the whole week.
I really enjoyed my training course as a shop assistant.

My TRAINING COURSE WITH AN ARCHITECT ( Camille L. 3°5)

From november 26th to 30th, I went on a training course with an architect.
The firt day was stressful. When I arrived in front of the building, it looked as if there was no door ! I eventually found it ! I didn't know if my boss would be nice, but, as soon as I got there, he gave me a warm welcome. Unfortunately, I saw him only on the first day.
After that, two very friendly people took charge of me. They made me do some plans for a hotel in Arcachon. It was such an iteresting activity ! They asked me what I wanted to do later on and why I wanted to do that. A lot of people were working on their computers. Meanwhile, I was writing down my comments on my report card. Then , the secretary called me to ask me if I could try to type the text of a conference. How annoying ! Nevertheless, as I had nothing else to do, I did it.
Later on, my boss let me make a model of a movie theatre in Arcachon, even though I had no experience. What a fascinating activity ! But it is so complicated ! And it took lots of time...
During my training-course, I had to take notes, photocopy some documents and interview some people on their jobs.
On the last day, I went to see the computer designers make 3D films from computer generated images. Isn't that strange and difficult !
To finish with, I had to fill in a questionnaire on my week there which was a very good experience ! It confirmed my choice of career even if this job is difficult ! I do like it !

MY TRAINING COURSE ON AN OYSTER FARM ( Victor F. 3°6)

When you're in 9th grade in France, the school requires you to go on a one-week training course so as to find out wht working life is like.

I did my training-course on the peninsula of Le Cap Ferret, near Bordeaux. It was in a business of oyster farming named "Les Parcs du Nonoît". I don't want to become an oyster farmer but I like strenuous jobs. However, I enjoyed my training course because it didn't take place in an office but outside and that's why I chose this job. During my training-course, my boss let me help him to do a lot of activities. I worked nearly all the time on the barge and on the oyster farm to collect and sort the oysters. I almost fell overboard. I caught a mild cold, therefore on the next day, I wore a raincoat. The Wednesday was a very rainy day.
I think this job is very difficult because oysters farmers have to get up according to the high tide and low tide. This is an exhausting job !

SAFE BLOGGING ( Alexandre B. 3°6 )

Let me give you a few pieces of advice to blog safely.

- First of all, you should be as anonymous as possible. You shouldn't give any personal information like your family name, the name of your school or your personal address ; otherwise someone might try and locate you and it may be dangerous.
- You should check the comments on your blog regularly as a blog is interactive and the readers might read the comments. Some of these comments might be negative or degrading, so you should delete them.
- You shouldn't post embarrassing photos on your blog because someone might download them and share them with anybody. If a parent or a teacher sees the photos, you might feel embarrassed or even get into trouble with a future employer.
- You shouldn't lie about your age because someone might think you're older than you really are and it might be a problem.
- You should control who can visit your blog by making a friends' list and limiting the access only to people you know and trust.
- You should avoid meetings with unknown people met on the net because the person might not be who he says he is.

NEW YORK CITY BALL DROP 2008

Attending the New Year's Eve Ball Drop in Times square is one of the most famous New Year's celebrations in the world.

People have been celebrating New Year's Eve in Times Square since 1904 but the first ball drop didn't happen until 1907. For 100 years, the ball has been dropped from One Times Square every year, except in 1942 and 1943 due to wartime restrictions on lighting in New York City.

As the ball drops from One Times Square, beginning at 11.59 p.m on New Year's Eve, there are normally more than one million people in Times Square, not to mention the millions watching the ball drop on nationwide and watching TV from around the world. Once the ball drops, 1 ton of confetti will be released over Times Square.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !! ( Mrs SAULIERE )

The famous fireworks in Sydney harbour / AUSTRALIA.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL !
As soon as the clock ticks 12 o'clock, gone are the 365 days and here comes the New Year packed with all excitement and fun. New Year is an event to celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of the other. New Year is a time to look for new inspirations and motivations, to achieve what remained unachieved in the passed year, to set new goals and to make new resolutions. New Year celebrations vary from country to country and culture to culture.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA is one of the first cities to celebrate the New Year in the world and it's one of the best places too. What makes New Year in Sydney special is the variety of fireworks. You can see the sky dazzling with more than 80,000 fireworks lit near the Sydney Opera House. Over 1 million people gather around Sydney Harbour every year for the celebrations. The fireworks last 15 to 20 minutes and they can be seen from 16 km around Sydney. No less than 300,000 tourists come on tours to Australia every year just to have a glimpse of the famous fireworks.
The other main attraction of the New Year in Sydney is the Sydney New Year Beach Party with people coming and enjoying bonfires on the beaches.

To see an enlarged photo of the Sydney fireworks for 2008 see the following link :

http://www.panoramas.dk/New-Year-2008/sydney-new-year.html

THE BIRTH OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT ( OLIVIA L. )

In the 1900's, even though slavery was abolished, black people were still discriminated against in jobs, housing and education. In the south of the USA, there were segregationn laws. Black people couldn't go to the same schools as white people, for example.
One day, in 1955, a black woman named Rosa Parks, was arrested for refusing to leave her seat to a white person on a bus. Shocked by this unfair arrest, the black population decided to boycott the buses in Montgomery, Alabama. They were led by a young clergyman, Martin Luther King. This man decided to create the "Civil Rights Movement" to fight for Black people's rights. He made his famous speech, "I have a dream", in Washington in front of 200,000 people.
In this speech, he told people that he was dreaming of a better world, a world where everybody would be equal.
In 1963, John F. Kennedy created the "Civil Rights Act"which made all segregation illegal. This was a hundred years after the abolition of slavery, when President Lincoln signed the "Emancipation Proclamation".

THE ROOTS OF ROCK'N ROLL ( ANA C.)

"BLUE CHRISTMAS" by ELVIS PRESTLEY


Rock'n roll comes from the work songs the slaves sang while they were working on the southern plantations in the US in the 19th century. The slaves couldn't use their native language or African instruments because their masters wanted to prevent them from expressing themselves, communicating or rebelling. They had to use English. Nevertheless, they managed to communicate by creating a new kind of music, the Gospels. As they couldn't express themselves directly, they used biblical stories in order to communicate hidden messages of rebellion.
The Blues was born after slavery was abolished in 1863. But in spite of the abolition of slavery, Blacks were still discriminated and there were laws of racial segregation in the south of the US. This went on until Martin Luther King fought for their civil rights in the 1960's.
Jazz was born in Louisiana at the beginning of the 20th century. Jazzmen were poor, therefore they used brass instruments left over by the army after the civil war or cheap instruments, like the banjo.
Rock n' roll was born in the 1950's with black performers. Elvis became the King of Rock'n roll. He was white, and yet he sang like a black man.

CHRISTMAS IN THE UNITED-STATES- Mrs Cherubin

Thanksgiving is over and Xmas is at the door! Decorations are out and the evening drive home is lit by a multitude of lights that tell us that Xmas is in the air. Americans love Xmas! The radio plays Xmas songs all day long. My daughter plays Xmas songs on the piano to practice for her piano recital. Actually, she started already in October and by the time Xmas rolls in we are actually fed up with Xmas tunes.
As I said earlier, Americans love Xmas. It brings out their childlike spirit and their "shop till you drop" philosophy. They decorate their houses with an incredible amounts of lights almost bordering tacky. It is almost impossible to fall asleep at night because the houses are all lit up. Everything is on display, from Santa to Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, Mrs. Santa to Frosty the snowman and the Nativity scene, candy canes, snowflakes, etc.etc. We have red lights, white lights, big lights and small lights, everywhere in the front yard, back yard, on the roof and on the windows, bushes, trees, patios and porches. The more the better for all the children's delight!
During this season, people go to concerts to hear choirs singing Xmas carols, they go to the ballet to see "The Nutcracker" performed by big ballet companies and by small obscure ballet companies. They bake cookies, fudge, brownies and they give them as presents to family and friends. Children eat candy canes in all colors and variety and go for sleigh rides with Santa organized by local church groups.
I do not like shopping very much at Xmas time. There are too many people out and about and everybody is rushing to get the last gifts. There are queues at the cash registers and people are stressed and impolite. The true Xmas spirit has to be enjoyed at home around the Xmas tree together with family and friends. And what if there are not a million presents under the tree! Just one thoughtful present is enough to make my heart content. I am also thinking that this year I will send less Xmas greetings, I might save a tree or two. I will use the email, it is more environmentally friendly.
Merry Xmas, everybody!

MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE IN NEW YORK

Every year, Macy's, the world's largest department store, organizes very popular events. Its Thanksgiving Day Parade is a real institution in New York City.
On the fourth Thursday in november, the same day that most Americans gather around the dining table and eat turkey to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade marches through the streets of New York City. Elaborate floats, marching bands, clowns and celebrities creatre a carnivalesque atmosphere.
But the main attraction is the parade's giant helium balloons, many of which represent cartoon characters.
For more than 80 years, the parade has drawn spectators who line the streets and cheer on the participants.
The holiday event grew ( and grew) over time from a small parade of floats and live animals organized by Macy's employees- the majority of whom were emigrants-into a large scale annual tradition. The parade showcases 10,000 participants, and crowds of 2 to 3.5 million spectators cram Manhattan streets for a close-up view. Another 50 million watch the parade on TV.

To make online puzzles on the theme of the Macy's Thanksgiving parade :
http://www.macys.com/campaign/parade/pop/puzzles.jsp

THANKSGIVING 2007 - Thursday, November 22nd

To see a video about the history of Thanksgiving :

http://www.history.com/minisites/thanksgiving

THE ANNUAL PARDONING OF THE THANKSGIVING TURKEY BY GEORGE BUSH

Every year, on the eve of Thanksgiving, in a ceremony at the White House, the President of the United-States pardons a turkey, which means the bird is not killed and eaten.

The animal is chosen from a different farm every year, among a group of birds hatched in April. In August, when the toms ( = the male turkeys) have reached 11kg, six of the most beautriful birds are selected. For four months, they are periodically petted and hand-fed so that they get used to humans.

The week before the presentation, two toms are chosen. They are brought to Washington DC and prepared for the Ceremony. In the meantime, thousands of Americans vote for a name on the White House website, names like Stars and Stripes, Pumpkin and Cranberry, Freedom and Liberty. This year,the names chosen were May and Free. On the day of the Ceremony, the larger and more colourful of the two birds is brought to the White House and hoisted on a pedestal in the Rose Garden, to become the National Thanksgiving turkey.

During the Ceremony, the President pets the bird, makes a few jokes and photos are taken. Afterwards, this year, the pardoned turkey was put in a plane and it travelled first class to Los Angeles where it will live peacefully ( in Disneyland ) until its death ( which usually occurs within two years ).

See the video of President Bush pardoning the 2007 Thanksgiving turkey :

http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Video_Clips&content_type_id=50493&display_order=5&mini_id=1083

To learn more about the history of presidential pardon :

http://www.factmonster.com/spot/tgturkey2.html

THANKSGIVING - by Mrs CHERUBIN

Here it comes again, that time of the year when everybody starts getting ready to celebrate "Thanksgiving" with family and friends. Mothers are busy buying turkeys for Thanksgiving dinners and fishing out old recipes to figure out how long the "Big Bird" has to cook in the oven. No matter how big or small the family is, big turkeys ornate the table while the whole family flies across American skies to be once again reunited around the table.

Thanksgiving is a typical American tradition. It stems from the times of the Puritans, when the early settlers were able to survive the harsh New England winters with the products of the land. The native Indians taught them to cultivate corn, and so corn became a very important staple on Thanksgiving day. A typical meal consists of Turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans, mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, corn, and pumpkin or sweet potato pies. The family gathers at around 3 or 4 o'clock and they spend a few hours together eating and having fun. After the meal, they gather around and play games or they sit and watch the football game on their big screen TVs. This is the first big holiday after the summer, and everybody looks forward to see each other again.

The day after Thanksgiving, the official Christmas holiday shopping begins. Many people, gather outside the department stores before opening time to get the early birds deals. I have never done it. I do not see the point of getting up so early to spend money. Anyway, I look forward relaxing at home and getting together with friends to laugh and have a good time!


http://www.joyeuse-fete.com/thanksgiving.html

MARTIN LUTHER KING'S SPEECH : " I HAVE A DREAM.."Aug.28, 1963

video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1732754907698549493

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

AN AMERICAN TEACHER'S MESSAGE TO THE CASSIGNOL PUPILS

NOV. 11 - VETERANS DAY - 25th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.

People gathered on the Mall in Washington these days to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which was built in 1982. There was a reading of the Names ceremony on Nov. 7th 2007. All the names engraved in the Wall were read over a three-day period.

THE MEETING OF TWO TEACHERS IN NEW YORK CITY- Mrs Sauliere

During the holidays, I went to New York city where I met Mrs Cherubin , our American penfriends' teacher ! She drove all the way from Washington to New York and we met in Grand Central Station, which is a huge railway and subway station situated right in the center of Manhattan. I had already seen photos of her, but she was turning her back to me when I caught sight of her; but then,she turned round and she recognized me first. It was very strange to meet a person I've been chatting with on the net for nearly a year without actually knowing her. We had never met before, but we have so much in common that it felt as if we had always known each other. We had very long conversations together because Mrs Cherubin is amazing !she can talk about everything. She is of Italian origin, but she has lived in England, Germany and Switzerland, so she knows Europe very well. Together, we had a walk in Central Park; we visited the Whitney Museum ( a museum of American Art ), we walked a lot in Manhattan and finally, she very kindly invited me to see a show in Broadway. This show was entitled " The Three mo' tenors"; it was a musical show with three very talented black singers who recounted the history of black American music ( from the gospels to rap ). I gave Mrs Cherubin the photos I had taken of my pupils (on a CD), and she gave me a package of letters to deliver on my return to France.I had a great time with this person I can now call a friend,and will keep excellent memories of the moments we spent together. I hope she'll come to France one day to visit me !
( I will soon send a video of our meeting ! To be followed... )

Here is a photo of the show I saw in Broadway with Mrs Cherubin : " Three Mo' Tenors"

AUDREY HEPBURN

 

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S ( Julia )

Yesterday, I saw the film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” which I really appreciated. Here is the summary of the film !:

New York 1940. Holly Golightly is a pretty and mysterious American starlet who likes to take her breakfast in Tiffany’s jewellery. To her, it is every evening alcohol, holidays and men don’t miss! Holly wants to find a rich husband. She meets her neighbour whose name is Paul Varjak. They become friends and Paul discovers that behind her amazing character, Holly is hurtled by life and she isn’t allowed to fall in love with somebody. But with the time, a strong passion between Holly and Paul is going to be born of an amicable relation.

This film is really fantastic and sometimes funny. It’s the moving portrait of a lost young woman, brilliantly interpreted by bright and radiant Audrey Hepburn. Her interpretation of the song “Moon River” is a big instant! New York is filmed in an original manner, and the visit to Tiffany’s, is the most delightful stage of cinema which I have never seen!

Here is the song " moon River" ...

HALLOWEEN HISTORY

Halloween History Customs Origins and Facts

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!

Care2.com ecard: "Too Old For Trick Or Treat (Flash)" by Camilla Eriksson

STARDUST - Mathias

Stardust is a fantastic movie. A young villager, Tristan Thorne ( played by Charlie Cox ) is in love with the prettiest girl in the village. He promises to bring back to her a star which has fallen from the sky. To do so, he crosses a wall and arrives in a world inhabited by strange creatures and other mysterious characters. There are funny moments in the movie, with an effeminate captain, for instance ( played by Robert De Niro ).
A movie you should go and see if you feel like spending a nice moment in a heated room !!

MY FRIENDS AND I - Yéléna ( 4°)

I have got a lot of friends but I have two best friends whose names are Anais and Anne. If I am sad, they cheer me up by making me laugh. They are big laughs and I can confide in them. They are good-hearted and ... very greedy ! Anais is resentful whereas Anne is forgiveful. Anais is a bit clumsy ! She always breaks things ! Together, we have invented nicknames for us: Anais's nickname is " Naisou le caritoux", Anne's is " Nanou' and mine is... " Yélou le poux" ! We have the same tastes : we love music, shopping, fashion, the cinema..
There are some people I don't like because they are quarrelsome, stupid or aggressive..
For me, a perfect friend is a person who makes me laugh, who is intelligent and who has the same tastes as me.
For me, Anais and Anne are perfect friends because they never get on my nerves !

I HAVE PLENTY OF FRIENDS.. - Emma (4°)

I'm a good mixer, therefore I've got plenty of friends. My best friend is Camille because we've got the same tastes and she is very understanding and considerate. Each time I'm down, she cheers me up. She is a good laugh. Both of us like going shopping. I can rely on her, that's why, whenever I've got a problem, she is here for me.
Unlike my cousin, Camille is a reliable person. I can't stand my cousin who is a boaster. He gets on my nerves. We quarrel all the time whereas I get on very well with Camille.
According to me, a perfect friend has to be reliable, understanding, considerate and attentive. As Camille has got all these qualities, I think she is a perfect friend.

FRIENDSHIP - Benjamin ( 4°)

AS I'm quite sociable, I get along with most of the people I know, that's why I have got loads of friends and I don't hate anyone in particular. But of course, there are a few people I get along better than with other people, like my friend Kevin for example. I have known him for some years. We have the same tastes and, as he is a good laugh, we like having fun together.
For me, the perfect friend is someone who helps you when you're sad or dejected. A perfect friend is someone you can trust all the time as much as he trusts you. Finally, in my eyes, the perfect friend is someone who likes sharing lots of things with you, and maybe just some time.

OUR AMERICAN PENPALS' BLOG

Here is the address of our American penpals' blog. There are nice photos of the students and messages about all the different events organized by their school - Eleanor Roosevelt highschool. Don't hesitate to post your comments !

http://lyceeerhs.skyrock.com

+ why don't you go and visit their school's official site ?

http://eroosevelths.pgcps.org
http://eroosevelths.pgcps.org/about.htm

JIMI HENDRIX BIOGRAPHY (CHLOE)

Johnny Allen Hendrix ( Jimi's real name) was born in Seattle on November 27th 1942. For his sixteenth birthday, his father bought him his first accoustic guitar. Shortly after, Jimi joined a group called "The Velvetones"which he left after only three months to persue his own interests. In 1961, he enlisted in the United-States army but he was discharged for he got hurt during a parachute jump, that's how he started working as a guitarist. He played with famous artists such as Tina Turner or Little Richard, among others. Then , he formed his own group: "Jimmy James and The Blue Flames". In the sixties, he became successful thanks to his first single, "Hey, Joe" and his first album, "Are you experienced", which became one one the most popular albums of all times. His participation in the Woodstock Festival in 1969 remains in history especially because he played the American national anthem ( "The Star Spangled Banner") on the guitar. Finally, he died of an overdose of sleeping pîlls in 1970, at the early age of 27. But he still remains one of the greatest rock legends of his time.

RUGBY WORLD CUP

SELF-PORTAIT ( Anne - 4°)

Norman Rockwell-Self-portrait- 1960

Dear friend,
To know each other better, I think we should both introduce ourselves in a letter, so I will do the first step. My name is Anne ; I was born on the the thirteenth of April 1994, so I'm thirteen years old.
My parents are married, but my father has already been married before, so I've got four half-brothers. In his second marriage (with my mother), my father had three other children : my older brother, my older sister and me. In all, we are a very large family ! What about you ? Is your family bigger than mine ?
To come back to me, I'm going to describe myself : I'm a brown-haired and brown-eyed girl, I'm quite tall and slim. I think I look like my mother more than like my father.
Concerning my personality, I can tell you I'm very clumsy as everything is broken in my room (and not just in my room... ). That's quite simple : when I go somewhere, I break everything which is around me. My nickname is "La Pas Douée"-in French- and in English, I guess it would be " The not talented girl", or something like that. When I'm not breaking things, I'm sleeping, working or playing (on my computer, playing badminton or just playing with my cat!!). No, maybe, I'm a bit exaggerating in what I'm saying (but just a little bit!).
What about my tastes ? Well, I love sports, particularly badminton and tennis, I love the cinema, especially fantastic movies... but I like "Bridget Jones' Diary" and that's not fantastic at all. As a conclusion, I'm just fond of the cinema in general, I love going downtown with my friends, or just going to the restaurant with them to talk about everything. Have you got a lot of friends ? And do you do the same things as me with them ? If you come over here one day, I hope you like cats because I have one in my house. He is called Mika, and he's always stuck to you !
Lots of love from your friend, Anne.

THE HIPPIES - WOODSTOCK 69 - Mrs Sauliere

HIPPIES AND HIPPIE VANS

Here are a few photos of hippies or hippy vans in the 70's.

THE HIPPIES :

Hippie refers to a movement that began in the United-States during the early 1960's and that expanded to other countries before declining in the mid 1970's.

Originally, the hippies were part of a youth movement composed mostly of white teenagers and young adults, between the ages of 15 and 25 years old. They rejected established institutions, criticized middle-class values, opposed nuclear weapons, opposed the Vietnam War, were often vegetarian and eco-friendly, promoted the use of psychedelic drugs and created communities. They used folk music and psychedelic rock as a part of their lifestyle and as a way of expressing their vision of the world and life. They promoted peace, love and personal freedom as in The Beatles' song "All You Need is Love".

BACKGROUND MUSIC ( Paul N.)

Hey ! you if you like background music, take a look at that myspace page :
http://www.myspace.com/semlabel
That's the label of my brother, Alexandre Navarro ( like the Indians).He does music too on his label under his name.

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT HIGHSCHOOL - our American penpals'school in Maryland

LET'S TALK ABOUT MY SCHOOL - Mrs Cherubin, French teacher in Eleanor Roosevelt Highschool

Hi everybody! After contributing to your school blog for about a month, I decided it was time to send you an article of my own and some pictures of our school in Maryland. It is a high school situated in Greenbelt, Maryland, half an hour from Washington, DC. It is simply the best school in the county and one of the best schools in the state of Maryland. Can you hear how proud I am of my school??? Well, there is a lot to be proud of. It is called Eleanor Roosevelt High School. It is a magnet school, which means that we offer a Science and Technology magnet program for very talented students. There are also a lot of students who are in a comprehensive program with regular classes.

The students are very lucky to be at our school. They have the opportunity to work with some of the finest teachers in the state and participate in a lot of activities. We have the finest music program you could ever imagine. We have various bands and orchestras, not to mention the various choirs.
There are hundreds of after school clubs that students can join and, for the most athletic ones, we have sports teams that compete at the regional, county and state levels.
Students who first come to ERHS are inducted to the "Roosevelt Way, The right way of doing things!" It is not just about academics, but also about building a character and continuing the tradition of community based service that has shaped the lives of many students who came through our school.
If you think I am bragging then you need to spend a few days at our school to realize that we work harder than anybody else and, may be not all the students appreciate it, but after they leave they tend to come back. They recognize the uniqueness of their school and they want to be a part of it again!

Mme Cherubin