1ªReuniao Eb23sa Houthalen2006 Nov

Introducing our School

As you know, PORTUGAL

is a country in south-western Iberia, “at the end” of Europe.

Madeira

and the Azores

are portuguese

islands; they are

autonomous regions.

MADEIRA has regional political and

administrative autonomy, with

its own governmental

bodies; the State retains full

sovereign rights and it is

represented in the region by a

Minister of the Republic. It has a

Regional Legislative

Assembly and a Regional

Government.

The capital - Funchal

PORTUGAL

Madeira

Harbour

Our school is in Funchal, in a place called Santo António.

Harbour

It’s a basic education school.

(Basic education is universal, compulsory

and free, with a duration of nine

years.)

Take a look of our site .

ESCOLA BÁSICA DE SANTO ANTÓNIO

CYCLES SCHOOL

YEAR

AGE

1st CYCLE 1st, 2nd,

3rd, 4th

6 - 9

2nd CYCLE 5th, 6th 10, 11

3rd CYCLE 7th, 8th, 9th 12 - 15

STUDENTS 720

TEACHERS 102

BASIC EDUCATION

The specific aims for the 1st cycle are to develop spoken language, to start

and gradually develop reading and writing, basic arithmetical notions and calculations, the physical and social environment, art, drama, music and

movement.

The specific aims for the 2nd cycle are education in the

humanities and arts, physical education and sports, science

and technology, moral and civic education, preparing students to assimilate and

critically interpret information, so as to allow them to acquire working methods and tools,

and the knowledge needed to

continue their education.

The specific aims for the 3rd cycle are to acquire a systematic grasp of modern

culture in all its different aspects, including the humanities, literature,

arts, physical education and sports, science and technology.

All this will form later a good basis either

for pupils looking for employment or continuing their education.

They also have academic and career counselling to help them in

their choice to future studies or employment.

SCHOOL

MANAGEMENT AND

ADMINISTRATION

SCHOOLASSEMBLY

DIRECTIONADMINISTRATIVE

COUNCILPEDAGOGICAL

COUNCIL

•Director•President of Pedagogical

Council •6 Teachers

•Not-Educational Staff Representative

•Parents Representative•2 Local Authority Representatives

•Director•2 Assistants•(1 Advisor)

•Director•1 Assistant•Leader of

Administrative Services

•President of Pedag. Council•Director

•Coordinators of Curricular Departments

•Cycle Coordinators•Psychologist

•Representative Educational Supports

This Project and the School

We began with a small group of teachers (11):

• Our Director• 1st Cycle teacher• 2 Portuguese teachers (2nd/3rd

Cycles)• 2 History teachers (2nd/3rd Cycles)• 2 English teachers (2nd/3rd Cycles)• 2 Science teachers (2nd/3rd Cycles)• ICT teacher (3rd Cycle)

Since this is a School Development Project, we’ll try to expand it to the maximum of teachers as soon as possible.

In our school, in the 1st Cycle, children begin to learn English (just the

basis).All the children in 2nd

Cycle choose English as foreign language, not

French.In the 3rd Cycle they

learn English and

French.

Languages in School

In our school we have 3 ICT labs connected to the Internet and also a Wireless Lab (15 portable pcs) that

can be used in the classrooms when the teachers ask for it in advance.

ICT equipment

in School

I’m a Geography teacher with already

20 years of this challenging and

interesting career.

Lately, I’ve been in the School Direction for 6 years.

This project is a new challenge to our school and

a good way to motivate both the students and my colleagues to reach the same objectives: being

innovative in class methods, specially those proposed with the use of ICT, in order to obtain the

students success.

Since the great majority of our

students come from economically weak

families, an important role of the school is to offer them the same opportunities also in

this field.

And because there is a great need of Assisted Study

Classes in our school, I think this project –

based on Independent Learning – will be of great help

for a lot of our students.

I teach Portuguese Language to the 2nd Cycle and I was also the Computers Club teacher for some time, so

I’m one of the ICT interested teachers in our

school. We aren´t yet many, but with this project

we’ll also try to improve

this state of things.

This year I have two 6th classes (A and C)

and I teach them Portuguese

Language, Study Methods and

Project.

I’ve published a site -Netescolinha

- where I put online Portuguese Language interactive exercises

made with Hot Potatoes

I’ve been experiencing for some time several kinds of

independent learning activities with my classes,

through this site. They like it and work there with interest

and motivation. I’ve also created – last year -

a Class Blog with my 6thA and this year I’ll begin a partnership in a School

Forum with my other class, 6thC.

Both the Class Blog and the School Forum

partnership are also, in a certain way, types of independent learning practices, due to the

kinds of tasks the students are asked to

perform there.

So…We hope we’ll do a good job together!