Since starting the original blogging challenge in September 2008, we have had some classes that have joined in all the challenges in some way or another – as bloggers, commenters or helpers.

So many thanks to Mrs Smith from Vancouver Island Canada, Mr Bogush from Connecticut USA,  Stora Ines from Portugal and Miss Wyatt from Tasmania, Australia.

We are now starting our fifth student blogging challenge and as at 3pm Australian time on Saturday 11th September, there are 109 classes and over 350 students from 15 countries of the world registered to take part in the 10 weeks worth of challenges.

There are also some students who have now taken part in 3 or more challenges, so I would like to thank Lauren, Abbey and Skye for putting so much effort into their blogging work throughout the years of the challenge.

Original image: ‘Thank You 2‘

We have just finished a “season” of tests, in our school;  recently, we have been  writing about what we can see from our window, at home. Here is the text of Francisca, followed by its English translation:

Da janela do meu quarto, vejo uma luz… Uma luzinha pequenina que atravessa tudo e todos e fica ali… A observar cada movimento…

Um bocado de céu que deixa cair cada gota no meu telhado, que depois lentamente vai escorregando ao longo das telhas, acabando por cair…

Ergue-se um grande telhado preto, brilhante, com uma pequena janela curiosa que dá para um grande quarto abandonado…

Consigo sempre ouvir o ladrar dos cães a comunicarem uns com os outros, discutindo ou apenas conversando… quem sabe?

Com o grande e misterioso senhor vento, oiço os pinheiros a murmurarem segredos… Contam-me historias fantásticas que me ajudam a adormecer. Acho fascinante como nunca contam a mesma história; apresentam-me sempre diferentes textos, lendas ou mitos e conseguem sempre que eu fique a pensar na mensagem que aquilo me dará…

No Verão oiço o mar. Consigo ouvir cada gota do oceano a ser levada para entre os grãos de areia… Como adoro o cheiro do Verão e do mar…

Quando estou triste, ou algo me preocupa, salto da janela e fico sentada nas telhas a ver a paisagem… A ouvir as histórias das árvores, o ladrar dos cães, o vento, a chuva… consigo sentir o calor do sol, ouvir os passarinhos e  até os aviões,  porque,  na realidade,  tudo o que eu vejo faz parte do meu mundo, tudo o que eu sinto faz parte do meu mundo, tudo o que consigo cheirar faz parte do meu mundo, tudo o que oiço faz parte do meu mundo…

O mundo é do tamanho que nos acreditarmos que é….

Francisca R

From the window of my room, I see a light … a tiny little light that goes through everyone and everything and remains there … and watches every move …

A bit of sky that lets fall each of its drops on my roof, which will then slowly slide along the tiles, and eventually fall …

A huge black roof stands in front of me, bright, with a curious small window overlooking a large, abandoned room  …

I can always hear the barking of dogs communicating  with each other, arguing or just talking … who knows?

Thanks to the great and mysterious lord Wind, I can hear the murmuring secrets of the pines … They tell me wonderful stories that help me to fall asleep. I find it’s fascinating that they never tell the same story. I’m always given different texts, myths and legends and they always make me wonder about the message their murmur will bring to me.

In Summer time, I listen to  the sea. I can hear every drop of the ocean being taken among the grains of sand … How much I love the smell of summer and the sea …

When I’m sad, or something worries me, I jump from the window and I sit on the tiles to admire the scenery … To listen to the stories of the trees, the barking dogs, the wind, the rain … I can feel the warmth of the sun, hear the birds and even the airplanes, because in reality, all I see is part of my world, everything that I feel is part of my world, all I can smell is part of my world, all I hear is part of my world …

The world has the size that we believe it has ….

Francisca R

• Have you ever stopped to contemplate in silence the inexhaustible richness of reality flowing through your window?
• Would you like to share this treasure with us: what can you see, hear, smell and fell, just by welcoming and  sheltering this amazing gift?

Original Image: Roof Over the Friendship School Autor: DavidDennisPhoto.com

Attribution: Creative Commons Share Alike

We are celebrating, all over the world, the International Women’s Day. Here is some historical information that seems to be both reliable and relevant from Politics Gather

International Women’s Day celebrates century in the year 2010 : [...] the International Women’s Day was established in 1910 during the World Conference on Women held in Denmark. Therefore, a hundred years ago on March 8 the day is dedicated to women.

The choice of March 8 refers to that day in 1857, when textile workers in New York in the United States went on strike, occupying the factory, and their lobbying for easing the daily working hours, from 16h to 10h.

These workers – who received less than a third of the wages of men – were closed in the factory where they started a fire. About 130 women were burnt alive. [...]

Five years later, over 14 thousand women marched in the streets of New York protesting for the same reason the workers in 1857, and claimed the right to vote.

They walked under the slogan of Bread and Roses, where the bread symbolized the economic stability and roses a better quality of life.

Nowadays, the fight goes on and needs  our engagement and generous  support:

• Are you taking part in a special event dedicated to Women?
• How can we do a step more to protect women rights near us?

Women’s Day Logo

So, the fourth Student Blogging Challenge is going on now, since the first March! In order to meet the various levels of blogging experience, the tasks to perform will be adapted to four different categories of participants: beginners, veterans, commenters and class.

About 62 classes and 550 students, from 10 different countries, are participating, so far, and the lists are still beeing updated every day.

All this youth, within a wide range of age – since 8 to 18 years old -, has come together to share a “ten weeks walk”, by sharing thoughts and feelings, by learning new communication skills and by strengthening those human ties that arise from sincere dialogue and good fellowship.

In the “Challenge aftermath” they can always meet here, at Bringing Us Together, a place on the web especially conceived for those who have become friends and wish to prolong their conversations while waiting for a brand new and irresistible Challenge.

To all the Students participating we whish the best of luck, creativity and enthousiasm and we congratulate Sue Wyatt and Sue Waters for their wonderful work!

stora Inês

Imagem Original: Colorful Waters

Autor: Jekert Gwapo Attribution: Creative Commons Paternité 2.0 Générique

Andreia wrote about the floods that have caused mudslides victims in Madeira island and have destroyed and swept away houses, cars and trees. She also took care of the English translation that follows her Portuguese text:

Madeira Desperta no Caos

Tal como nenhum país é perfeito, e agora no Inverno com chuvas torrenciais e ventos fortíssimos, um dos casos de catástrofe recente ocorreu na Madeira, no dia 20 de Fevereiro.

Tudo começou com uma forte precipitação seguida por uma subida do nível do mar e da água nas ribeiras. Isto provocou inundações e derrocadas ao longo das encostas da ilha, principalmente na zona Sul. Na freguesia do Monte, a capela da Nossa Senhora da Conceição foi levada à força pelas águas, tal como algumas casas ali perto.

A quantidade de água que caiu na ilha da Madeira foi o valor mais alto, jamais registado em Portugal.

Houve 42 mortos (entre os quais 29 estão identificados) e 32 feridos, a localidade ficou devastada, sem nada e com algumas dificuldades na comunicação; com tantas vítimas, foi necessário mandar muitos bombeiros, médicos, militares e alguns elementos da força armada portuguesa.

Madeira wakes up in chaos

As no country is perfect, and now in the winter with severe rain and wild wind, one case of chaos happened recently in Madeira, on the 20th February.

It started with a heavy rain followed by a rise in sea and rivers level. This caused flooding and landslides along the slopes of the island, mainly in the South;  in the village of Monte, the Chapel of Our Lady was taken by force by the waters, as some houses nearby.

The amount of water that fell on the island of Madeira was the highest ever recorded in Portugal.
There were 42 dead (among them 29 are identified) and 32 wounded. The area was left with nothing and some communication difficulties. With so many victims, it was necessary to send many firefighters, doctors, military and some elements of the Portuguese armed forces were sent.

Andreia P

Great natural disasters happen  suddenly and most of the times without warning: recently, the earthquake in Haiti and now in Chile with a tsunami threat.

However, in these most difficult moments, solidarity seems to outpour from every corner of the world, as a strong message of hope to our human fellows in pain.

• Could we ever be prepared to face so dangerous events?
• Which are the most efficient ways to send help to people in need?
• Have you ever participated in a local initiative to help  others abroad?
• Or how would you like to cooperate to relieve such suffering?

Please share your thoughts with us, by leaving a comment or, if you write a post in your blog, please leave a link to this post so that we may visit you.

Imagem Original: Madeira Flooding Street

Atribuição: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic