Extra days off this and next week in school!

 Today is the last day of school. You might think that I am wrong as it is Thursday. But no, Friday 29th November and Monday 8th December are days off due to the fact that the two Sundays, 1st and 7th of December, are holidays in Siena. We are the only ones that have this holiday, because of Sant'Ansano, who brought Christianity to Siena. 

Funny memes article N3 videogame edition By Niccolò Brandani

 Memes, Memes are funny pages or videos with often photoshop or design with the intention of making everyone laugh. Everyone can create memes but if you create them a lot or you like to create them, then you are a so called "memer".

                                                                                    

Write me in the comments what edition I should do next!

Emma Villas Volleyball game!

 As part of our new partnership with Emma Villas, our school, the International School Of Siena is sponsoring the game that will take place on Sunday the 24th November at the Palazzetto della Mens Sana. Students that take part in this first of many events will have a free entrance, while the adults accompanying them will have to pay €9 to enter. There will be an entire section of the gym dedicated to the ISS visitors. The match starts at 17:30, and you need to be at 17:15 by the ticket office.

 

Bake sale and basketball tournament by Carlo Alberto Di Meco

What will happen at school on the 28th of November? 

In the 28th there will be two amazing events organized by some students of DP. The first event that will happen is the basketball tournament that will take place after lunch. While after we will have the bake sale. 

The bake sale

The bake sale will have a lot of food such as homemade brownies and other home made pastries. Those students even made a recipe book that is full of treats and healthy food. In the words of Sofia Piazzi “We believe this “fit” bake sale is a wonderful way to share our love for baking while also promoting healthy treats and supporting a good cause”. Then the money earned by the students, parents and teachers will all be given to a charity called "Amici Miei". This charity donates the money to the animals shelters.

Basketball tournament

Just after the bake sale there will be the final of the basketball tournament that will take place just after lunchtime in the green area. There will be the final because the week before the students of the MYP and DP played the tournament from the round of sixteen. There will be no trophies and treats for the winners, but it is a good opportunity to share our skills and have fun by playing all together. Every student has to donate two euros to enter the tournament, and those two euros will still go to Amici Miei so the animals shelters can help and medicate dogs, give them healthy food, water and especially they will get even an owner.

Let's stop cyberbullying! By Isabella Pavia

 

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is bullying with the use of digital technologies. It can take place on social media, messaging platforms, gaming platforms and phones. It is repeated behaviour, aimed at scaring , angering or shaming those who are targeted. 

Examples include:

spreading lies about or posting embarrassing photos or videos of someone on social media

sending hurtful, abusive or threatening messages, images or videos via messaging platforms

impersonating someone and sending mean messages to others on their behalf or through fake accounts.

Face-to-face bullying and cyberbullying can often happen alongside each other. But cyberbullying leaves a digital footprint – a record that can prove useful and provide evidence to help stop the abuse.

How can we prevent it?

Cyberbullying requires action. Encourage kids to talk to trusted adults and save evidence of bullying. Victims should avoid engaging with bullies, blocking them if necessary. Parents should monitor online activity and use privacy settings.

Look for signs like withdrawal or anxiety after using devices. Teach kids not to retaliate, as it can escalate the situation. Support anti-bullying efforts and use monitoring apps to track harmful behavior.

Staying proactive and informed helps prevent and address cyberbullying effectively.

Sources: Kaspersky and Stopbullying

How to Improve Typing and your Typing Speed by Filippo Pellegrini

 Hello guys!

Today I'm going to talk about typing. I am in Grade 7 and in this grade you are practically NEW to using computers. I got the inspiration because a thing I realised from the beginning of the year was that some of my friends were a bit slow at typing. Sometimes this might be a problem because if you are in the middle of a lesson and the teacher tells you that you have to copy all of the things that are written on the wall or on the computer, you might take a lot more time than your friends.

This is why I'm going to tell you easy ways to get a lot faster at typing.

1.Position of your fingers: You might see that on your keyboard there are two small signs on your f and j keys. Your index fingers should be positioned on those keys, and obviously the fingers don't need to be stuck on those keys. Just try to  use this method as often as you can.

2.Practice typing: While using this method, always take at least 10 minutes a day to practice memorising the keys and take tests to see your WPM (words per minute). 40/45 WPM is already good!

3. Typing tests and games: on the web there are many typing websites where you can practice and play. A recommended typing website is typing.com with a full typing course and monkeytype.com with a personalised test. As a game there is Nitro Type that is a racing game where you have to beat other players by typing ai-made sentences. See how much WPM you have!

(these are the websites i recommended)

Reminder: this is not only for computers because you can practice the same on iPads, phones or any other device! This is also why PYP students can use my recommendations; plus i chose websites that would be free for any device instead of the computer ones.

Try to see if my suggestions work and send feedback to the International School blogger.com website. Thank you for reading this article and good luck typing!

Funny memes article N2

 Here is the next article on the weekly memes that should make you laugh.

:)

Grade 8 + 9 field trip to Genova

 On the 12th of November, the grades 8 and 9 are going to Genova and visit the Acquario and the Museo nazionale dell'Emigrazione Italiana. They will be leaving school at 6:30 in the morning and taking 3 hours to arrive at their destination. Students have to wear their uniform, bring their own lunch and snacks and bring along 20 euros for extra drinks, food or souvenirs. 

Things to cook/do in fall 🍁

• Are you ever sitting around and thinking “man I have no fall food to ee]at” well we can fix that, here are some things to do in fall (recipes include

What's the easiest crochet project to start with? Small square coasters or dishcloths allow you to practice and learn new stitches with a quick payoff. Simple scarves, baby blankets, and granny square throw blankets are also good choices.

paint a little candle with your favorite fall things on it!

and one more fun idea is fall decor!

Recipes:

Pumpkin spice latte

Pumpkin spice cupcake 

Pumpkin pie’s smore 

Marmalade cake 

Marshmallow potato casserole 

Pumpkin spice latte

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp pumpkin purée
• pinch of ground cinnamon, plus extra to serve (or use pumpkin spice)
• pinch of ground ginger
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 250ml milk (any will work)

Method

• STEP 1

  Put the pumpkin purée in a large heatproof glass or mug. Stir in the spices and espresso or strong coffee.
• STEP 2

  Heat the milk in a saucepan over a low heat until steaming and frothy. Pour into the glass or mug, and spoon over any froth. Stir to combine, then dust with more cinnamon or some pumpkin spice before serving.

•  Pumpkin spice cupcake                                                                       Ingredients:

  For the sponge

  • 140g butter, softened
  • 120g golden caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 140g self-raising flour
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin spice mixture or you can make your own (see 'goes well with')
  • 2-3 tbsp milk, plus extra for the icing if needed

  For the icing

  • 100g unsalted butter, softened
  • 100g icing sugar, sieved
  • ½ tbsp pumpkin spice mixture
  • 200g full-fat soft cheese

  Method

  • STEP 1

    Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases. Beat the butter and sugar together using an electric whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy, scraping down the edges to combine. Gradually beat in the eggs and vanilla.
  • STEP 2

    Fold in the flour and pumpkin spice, followed by the milk, and combine until you have a smooth batter. Using a tablespoon, divide the mixture between the cupcake cases, around two-thirds full. Bake for 12-15 mins – they should be firm to the touch and slightly golden brown. Cool in the tin for 5 mins, then lift them out gently onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
  • STEP 3

    Meanwhile, make the cream cheese icing. Using a stand mixer or electric whisk, beat the butter, icing sugar and pumpkin spice mix together until it turns smooth and pale, about 1-2 mins. Add the soft cheese and whisk for a further 3-4 mins until it thickens – it will turn runny and then thicken up again.
  • STEP 4

    You can either put the icing into a piping bag and pipe it in a circle on top of the cooled cupcakes, or spoon it on top of the cupcakes and swirl it with the back of a spoon. Dust with extra pumpkin spice, if you like.

  • Pumpkin pie' s smore                         Ingredients

    • 16 ginger nut biscuits
    • 8 marshmallows (vegetarian brand, if required)
    • 8 tsp canned pumpkin purée
    • ¼ tsp cinnamon

  • Method

    • STEP 1

      Preheat the grill to high and line a baking sheet with parchment. Put 8 ginger nuts on the tray and top with a marshmallow. Grill until the marshmallow is turning brown and melty.
    • STEP 2

      Mix the pumpkin puree with the cinnamon and put a tsp on each of the remaining ginger nuts.
    • STEP 3

      Sandwich both together until oozing. 

    • Marmalade cake                        Ingridients  

    • 200g unsalted butter
      softened, plus extra for the tin
    • 2 unwaxed oranges
    • 325-350g golden caster sugar
    • 4 eggs
    • 80g marmalade
    • 200g self-raising flour
    • double cream
      or ice cream, to serve
    • 
      
    • Sources: Big food.com

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