Christmas Holiday!

Today it is the last day of the term! The teachers beat the 9 graders at "topsboll" topz ball. It is a game that is about the same as indoor hockey, but you play with a stick that looks just like one of those small plastic topz you have to scratch the inside of your ear with. But of course, the stick is as big as a hockey stick. You can imagine that it is very difficult to hit the ball with such a stick.

Well, to make a long story short -we -the teachers won BIG!

Before the topz ball, all students danced some traditional dances (I danced the same dances when I was a student at school -a long, long time ago! Most of the students join in the dances and have a good time.

Two girls from grade 7 entered the stage and sang a song each. Well done!

Then it was time for lunch and today it was as our tradition at Tanumskolan: "Julgröt" -which is warm rice pudding served with sugar, cinnamon and milk.

Then all classes met up in the classroom with their teachers and we had a cosy time with lit candles, Christmas songs on the cd-player and then we handed out the grades.

After that, it was time to go home and most of the teachers have a tradition, at last day of the term, to follow the students to the schoolbus -and wave to them when the busses leave.

We hope you all have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year! We are looking forward to get going with the blog again after New Year. Now most of the blogs are up and running and it is going to be very interesting to see what we can do together in 2009.

Yesterday I spoke to an old student of ours, Nicolina, who came with us to Policka in November 2007. She still keeps in touch with some of the Czech and Italian students at least once a week! I think we have a great way to keep up the good work we are doing! After working together, for some of us up to 5 years, we ARE a Comenius family -just like Peter says!

So, to all of the members of the Comenius family, both students and teachers: MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

/Anna, teacher at Tanum

At Christmas

I woke up on the 24th December. The Santa had come on the night and it hangs a Christmas-stocking on the end of my bed. It is presents and sweets in the stocking, so I eat it. When I have got out of my bed I eat breakfast. It is very many things on the table, so I eat a lot of things, like “Christmas-ham”, eggs, tea, coffee, and lots of more things.
Then I’m going to my aunt and eat even more.
All my family is there, and we have fun, and laugh.
At 3 a.m. we watch Donald duck which is one of our traditions.
On the evening comes Santa Clause and gives us Christmas-presents.
When all gifts are delivered, we go home.

That is what who happens on my Christmas // Ida

Yes! At last!!! Towards Salerno

At last we have managed to upload our video "Towards Salerno" The video was shot at Hornbore by, an open air Viking museum, near Hamburgsund, Sweden. The story was written and performed by students at Tanumskolan as a part of the project "Learning in a European Classroom, sponsored by Progamkontoret and the EU.

The story is about some Vikings who are getting ready to sail towards Salerno, Italy to pillage and plunder. The daughter of the clan leader is a very special girl and she wants to come along, but as a female she is not allowed to join the men. She is very angry with her dad and .... Well, have a look and see what happens!

Some facts about Sweden

I was thinking that those who are coming to Sweden next year maybe want to now some facts about our country. Our big city, the capital of Sweden, is called Stockholm. The population in Stockholm is about 1 million of people. The National Anthem name is “Du gamla, Du fria”. In English that mean “Thou ancient, thou free”. The King of Sweden name is Carl Gustav. A traditional meal is meatballs, with brown sauce, lingonberry jam and boiled potatoes. In Sweden live 9 millions of people. The bigger cities are Malmö, Stockholm and Göteborg, in English called “Malmo, Stockholm and Gothenburg.” In Sweden we shop with SEK, “Swedish Krona”. The Swedish flag is blue with a yellow cross. Want to now more about Sweden? Search for it on wikipedia.
/Rebecca

Kubb

Kubb has been played since the Middle Ages here in Sweden, most people think that kubb comes from the biggest island in Sweden, it is called Gotland. Every year there is a world championship at Gotland. Here are the rules:

There are two teams. Each team has its own line with bowler pieces. There are five bowler pieces in each line. The team will throw down the other team’s bowler pieces with wooden sticks, you have to stand behind your own team’s bowler pieces when you throw it.
After you've thrown down the other team’s bowler pieces, it is time to throw down the king. The team that first throw down the king wins! But if you throw down the king by mistake you lose.//Anna Clara

Places to go when you come to Sweden

We are trying to find places that you might be interested in when you come to Sweden. Keep your eyes open and get back to us if you read about something you would like to see or do...



The Moos Farm
We can offer you a real moose adventure. Meeting moose, known as the King of the Forest, is a grand event. Moose are large and majestic, with something special and ancient about them that have always fascinated people.

We guarantee that you will see moose and provide a uniquely close contact with our domesticated animals. You will also learn more about how the moose live there. They can also give you tips on where you are most likely to see moose in our fantastic wilderness so you can go on your own, personal moose safari.
You can also touch and feed the moose.

Do you want to go there?

Nordens Ark
Nordens Ark is a non-profit foundation with the overarching goal to provide a future for endangered animals through; breeding and reintroduction programmes, research and information. Many of the species are part of conservation breeding and recovery programmes carried out in cooperation with nature protection organisations and authorities, universities and zoos. We only keep animals for which we can provide the best environmental conditions and for those which our work contribute to a long-term survival in the wild.
In Nordens Ark you can find Nordic animals and exotic animals who is in danger of extinction like lynxes, wolves, otters, adders, milk frogs, different kinds of horses and many other animals.
http://www.nordensark.se/en/

The Christmas tree

The tree is a spruce. You can have a plastic or natural spruce. You can cut the tree down buy yourself, but usually you buy it. Here in Tanumshede can you buy it outside the grocery stores. I don’t know were you are buying it in bigger towns and cities. Many people put the tree into the house the day before Christmas Eve.
When you have put the tree into the house it is time to decorate it. Some of the decorations are: Christmas tree balls, they can be in different colours, but often they are red. Small Santa Claus, most people also have electric candles in the spruce. Glitter is also usual. Then you can do own decorations like Christmas crackers, you can also hang candy in the tree, like polka pigs and stuff like that. On the top of the spruce there is a star. Under the spruce can you find the Christmas presents. Many people are dancing around the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve./ Anna Clara

Christmas ham

Christmas ham is a traditional dish you eat at Christmas. Its It’s made of a pig. The ham is boiled, then brushed with mustard, egg and spices. Then you put it in the oven.

Marcus

Lucia

13th December we have a tradition to celebrate ”Lucia”. Lucia is a Saint from Syracuse on Sicily. The history says that Lucia died for the people and God. She gave all her things to the poor. It was like a “thanks” to God because he had cure her deadly sick mother. But her fiancée get mad because he thought that she was a Christen (they were not allowed to be that then) so they try to kill her. But she didn’t get hurt, they try with hot oil, and she was burnt at the stake too. At last they through a sward in her and she died. At year 304 she became a Saint. In the church we use to have a Lucia procession. Lucia goes in the front (a girl with a white dress and candles in her hair.) and after comes the bridesmaids (girls with white dresses and tinsel in their hair) then the star boys come (boys with a star in their hand and a star hat) They sing our tradition Lucia songs and give us gingerbreads (a Christmas cookie) //Olivia

Julmust

It’s a Swedish drink that looks like Coca-Cola, but the taste is different. It’s soft and spicy and has the colour black. At Easter it is called Påskmust. Around Christmas the selling of Coca-Cola decreases.
By Emelie and Rebecca

Gingerbread biscuit

Gingerbread biscuit is a traditional cookie on Christmas. You usually do them at first Advent together whit you family.

To make gingerbread biscuit you need:

150 gram margarine
2 ½ decilitre sugars
½ decilitre syrup
1 decilitre water
½ tablespoon ginger
½ tablespoon clove
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom
½ tablespoon bicarbonate

1.Mix cooking fat, sugar and syrup to a dough
2.Add water, spice, bicarbonate and flour to the dough and put it in the fridge over the night.
3.Roll out a piece of the dough at the time. You can use for example heart shapes to form the cookie’s, let them fry in the oven for five minutes and then let them cool down on the pate.

If you break a gingerbread cookie in three parts then you can wish something. But if you tell someone what you wished for, you will get bad luck.

And you can’t cheat!

//Jennie

Christmas presents

In Sweden we celebrate Christmas on the Christmas Eve. Then comes the Santa and hand out the presents that lie under the Christmas tree.
Every year, media has a a “present of the year”. This year it is an experience, other years it have been a GPS, cd-book, poker set, flat screen-TV, cap/hat and a lot of other things.
/Moa K

Rice pudding

Rice pudding is a traditional meal, which you eat on Christmas morning. It’s made of water, milk, round grains, and some salt. Often you add some sugar and cinnamon. You also put in one almond, and there is a saying, that the one who gets it will get married before next year.
At Christams Eve you’re supposed to put out one plate for the Santa.
If you have a lot of leftovers you can make “rice a la malta” of it. You only add some cream and vanilla sugar.

Made by: Lina and Sissel

TV at Christmas

Every Christmas there is a Christmas-host who is sitting all day in a studio and presents all TV-programs. For 30 years Arne Weise has been TV host. But now there is a different host every year. At three o’clock it is Donald duck and other cartoon programs. It is a tradition to watch it. At three o’clock the host also light a candle. This year Lasse Crooner is going to be the Christmas-host.
//Kasper och David

Christmas Card

Christmas cards are regular greetings cards with for example Santa, trees or snow on it. You buy cards in a store or you can make a card on your one. You write something friendly and send it to friends, family and every one you know. You can also send Christmas cards through the computer if you have e-mail.

/ Rebecca&Emelie