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Carlos Gomes de Sá

COMMUNITY BIOLOGICAL GARDEN CLEANING DAY AT AVER-O-MAR SCHOOL

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Aver-o-Mar School experienced an intense day today, or rather an intense afternoon, because in addition to student competitions and regular activities ( mentoring, school sports and theatre), there were two activities open to the community: the launch of a book and the cleaning of the community organic garden.

In a separate article, you can find information on the launch of the book “Contributos para uma Escola Ubuntu – a visão de Diretores/as de Escolas Ubuntu” (Contributions to an Ubuntu School – the vision of Ubuntu school headmasters), highlighting the community’s involvement in the cleaning of the community organic greenhouse.

The greenhouse, installed inside the school, and after having been the stage for the practice of the former Horticulture and Floriculture Courses, has been used for various projects, ranging from interdisciplinary projects to specific activities in Science, Physics, Geography and Art classes. In addition, there are plots that are tended by students/classes, specific projects, staff and members of the community, especially the immigrant population.

This afternoon, starting at 2pm, the Eco-Schools project, under the coordination of teacher Filipe Santos, held a session to clean and organise the area, both inside and around the school, in order to start to reforest the arable area, in line with what has been happening in recent years.

The challenge was set before the community, with dozens of students taking part, as well as others carrying out integrated activities in this area, teachers and staff, and members of the community. The school board also set the lead, and Sílvia Costa, a former student at Aver-o-Mar School and now a municipal environmental councillor, who has closely followed the progress of the Aver-o-Mar School Group, was also involved in this activity.

The challenge was set before the community, with dozens of students taking part, as well as others carrying out integrated activities in this area, teachers and staff, and members of the community. The school board also set the lead, and Sílvia Costa, a former student at Aver-o-Mar School and now a municipal environmental councillor, who has closely followed the progress of the Aver-o-Mar School Group, was also involved in this activity.

This year, a new boost will be given to the greenhouse. Therefore, in addition to the traditional crops, different projects will be developed in the area of IoT, with the installing of sensors and several automation systems, in a partnership involving the two “Ciência Viva” projects at the School Group, one linked to the sciences and the other to robotics.

The book “Contributions to an Ubuntu School – the vision of Ubuntu School Directors” launch event

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A session to launch the book “Contributos para uma Escola Ubuntu – a visão de Diretores/as de Escolas Ubuntu” (Contributions to an Ubuntu School – the vision of Ubuntu School Headmasters) was held today in the school auditorium of the Aver-o-Mar School Group. The initiative was open to the educational community, and this action was represented nationwide, taking place simultaneously in more than thirty schools across the country.

The session, approved as an STC for teaching staff, was preceded by another moment open to the community, in this case the cleaning of the community greenhouse installed in the Aver-o-Mar EB, a moment that, according to the Ubuntu spirit, is considered to be the building of a bridge between different members of the community (see the post about this activity on the website).

The event, which was attended by around forty people from schools in Póvoa de Varzim and Vila do Conde, started with a performance by Ubuntu Club students Ariana, Guilherme and Lucas, to illustrate that “whoever gives receives”, which was presented by the Headmaster, Carlos Gomes de Sá, who co-authored one of the chapters in the book. As a motto, a presentation was made by Dr Rui Marques, Director of IPAV/Academy of Ubuntu Leaders (the entity that publishes the book), followed by the co-presentation of the book, with a total of 252 pages, by other volunteer Ubuntu Educators: Andreia Teixeira, Olga Carvalho, Sandra Pinheiro and Susete Araújo, whom Headmaster Carlos Gomes de Sá expressed his thanks, not only for accepting the challenge, but also for their commitment and dedication to the presentation.

The chapters briefly covered include: The Role of the Ethic of Care; Building Bridges; The Vision of Server Leadership; Ubuntu and Citizenship Education; Ubuntu and PASEO and EcoUbuntu.

The foreword to the book, which gathers together contributions from more than 70 school leaders, states: “This book reflects not only windows of hope in the content it presents, but also in the process it has generated. The determination of the Ubuntu School Principals’ Council to have embraced this participatory process of co-constructing a shared vision of what the “Ubuntu School” could be is also a sign of hope. In this sense, it is important to acknowledge the initiative and support of the Directorate-General for Education for the development of this idea and the work that is being done on the basis of the “Ubuntu Schools” programme, an initiative of this body, developed by the Instituto Padre António Vieira and co-financed by POCH, through Portugal 2020 – European Social Fund. This plural contributory edition will be a true contribution to thinking about schools from the point of view of the Ubuntu philosophy and method. It is also important, in this context, to thank all those who took part in the working groups, in particular the coordinators for the excellent work they did and the remarkable contribution they made. Likewise, thanks are due to the project’s executive coordinator, Tânia Neves, and her team for their ongoing professionalism and competence.”

Using various slides and some additional films, including work produced by students from the Aver-o-Mar School Group, some of the ideas detailed in the book were shown, highlighting some of the many action strategies focused on the Ubuntu philosophy, with application in various contexts.  A book was offered to all the participants. The session was closed by the Vice-President of the Municipality of Póvoa de Varzim Luís Diamantino. He complimented the grouping on the work it has been doing in the community. The session ended with a call to be taken over by the municipality to take on the project associated with the Ubuntu Leaders Academies.

In addition to the paper version, the book is available in digital format at the following link: https://issuu.com/ipavieira/docs/digital_contributos_para_uma_escola_ubuntu_1_?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ

Some recordings of the event.

ECO-SCHOOL CONTESTS: Collecting plastic bottle caps and cork stoppers

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Once again, the ECO-ESCOLAS club is challenging all the classes in the group to collect plastic bottle caps and cork stoppers and to take part in the “Plastic bottle cap and cork stopper collection competition” at school level.

The classes that do the most (the one that collects the most caps and the one that collects the most cork stoppers) will be the winners! They will be entitled to a prize for all the students in the class, a school trip to Lipor, to take part in an activity in the sorting centre and/or ant garden in the morning and to play in the Adventure Park in the afternoon.

This activity will take place until near the end of the 3rd term ( to be decided).

Students who have these materials to hand in should do so in Hall B, next to the operational assistant, indicating their class. Delivery should be made using water jugs (plastic), or in paper boxes (only this box is valid).

The members of the Club are counting on your participation in this activity that emphasises the preservation of ecosystems!

And the motto is:

“TOGETHER WE CAN DO MORE FOR OUR PLANET EARTH!”

The Eco-Schools coordinators

Contributions to an UBUNTU School

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On Wednesday 29th November, at 4pm, in the auditorium of Aver-o-Mar school, the book ” Contributions to an Ubuntu School – the vision of Ubuntu School Directors” will be presented, inviting all teachers and educators and other members of the educational community to take part in this meeting, which is also open to members of other schools.

The session, which has been validated as an a short t for teachers, will begin with an introductory talk, recorded by Dr Rui Marques, from IPAV/Academia de Líderes Ubuntu, followed by a presentation of the 252-page book. It is hoped that there will be a dialogue around this book, since there are strategies for action focused on the Ubuntu philosophy, with application in different contexts. In addition to the Director, who is the co-author of the book, other Ubuntu Educators who have made themselves available for this session will also take part: Sandra Pinheiro, Olga Carvalho, Susete Araújo and Andreia Teixeira.

On Wednesday 29th November, at 4pm, in the auditorium of Aver-o-Mar school, the book ” Contributions to an Ubuntu School – the vision of Ubuntu School Directors” will be presented, inviting all teachers and educators and other members of the educational community to take part in this meeting, which is also open to members of other schools.

The session, which has been validated as an Short Term Training for teachers, will begin with an introductory talk, recorded by Dr Rui Marques, from IPAV/UBUNTU leaders Academy, followed by a presentation of the book, which has a total of 252 pages. It is hoped that there will be a dialogue around this book, since there are strategies for action focused on the Ubuntu philosophy, with application in different contexts. In addition to the Director, who is the co-author of the book, other Ubuntu Educators who have made themselves available for this session will also take part: Sandra Pinheiro, Olga Carvalho, Susete Araújo and Andreia Teixeira.

The book will be offered to all attendees during the session, and enrolment is compulsory (seats are limited to the capacity of the auditorium and allocated in order of enrolment). In the case of non-teaching staff, enrolment must be made by calling 252690590.

WE ARE THE AWARD-WINNING “HAPPY NEIGHBOURHOOD PROJECT!!!! THANK YOU!!!

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Today, at 12 noon, Pingo Doce Department Store in Póvoa de Varzim (Argivai) held the weighing of the coins placed in each of the piggy banks of the “Happy Neighbourhood” project. In addition to Agrupamento de Aver-o-Mar, with its project CREATING A SNOEZZELEN ROOM FOR EVERYONE, a cause from the Maria Paz Varzim institution was also in the running.

This 3rd edition of this Pingo Doce charity project, which began on 10th October, was marred by a very close “competition”, visible from the piggy banks scattered around the shop, but also at the weighing stage, when the coins were placed side by side. In fact, the difference between the causes was very small, with cause A, from our group, receiving a total of 226kg and cause B 225.45kg. In fact, your contribution made all the difference, and we are very grateful for the commitment and collaboration of the whole community.

The money raised (€1,000) will be used to CREATE A SNOEZZELEN ROOM FOR EVERYONE, a project aimed at social inclusion through education, in this case the purchase of specialised equipment for a sensorial room, aimed at students with autistic spectrum disorders and elderly, focusing on well-being and intergenerational relationships.

You can see pictures of this moment in the photo below, with the director of the Aver-o-Mar School Group (director Carlos Gomes de Sá and deputies Emília Quintas and José Carlos Rocha), the managers of the Pingo Doce shop, and the representative of the Maria Paz Varzim Institution, Sérgio Furtado, in the cover photo of this publication, because all causes are winners. In fact, as one of the campaign’s slogans mentions, in which the heads of both institutions appear, “Good causes bring happiness!”.

Thank you Pingo Doce for this initiative

Thank you to everyone who supported the causes!

Results of the first Electron drop-off

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The future of the planet depends on the behaviour of each and every one of us, and that’s why our school continues to take part in Escola Electrão 2023/2024.

Escola Electrão is an Electrão project that aims to raise awareness and involve teachers, students, staff, parents and the community in general in the recycling effort by gathering used electrical devices and batteries.

Last October, the school made its first drop-off of waste to Electrão.

Now that the results of this first collection are in, it’s time to publicise them.

So, between waste, discarded electrical and electronic equipment, screens, television sets and monitors (CAT.2), nearly 1400kg were delivered! With regard to batteries, 20kg were handed in!

We’ve reached an appreciable figure, but we can’t stop there, so we’re calling on the whole community to continue delivering this type of waste to the school, which will dispose of it correctly.

If you have broken batteries, light bulbs, ink cartridges, small and large household appliances, remember that our school is an electron collection point. Deliver them to school and we’ll take care of recycling them.

Join us and @electraopt and deliver all your used electrical equipment to our school for recycling.

AVER-O-MAR STUDENT INTEGRATES YOUNG AUDIENCE AWARD IN LISBON – SARA CORTESÃO was Jury Speaker

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The Aver-o-Mar School Media Club and the curricular area Citizenship and Development have opened their doors to all students to take part in the European Youth Film Jury in partnership with the Portuguese Film Academy and the European Film Award since 2019.

After a training session with the project’s coordinator and vice-president of the Portuguese Film Academy, Carla Chambel, the students act as jury members for films directed by young people from the various countries that make up the European map. Over the years, the Young Audience Award (YAA) has grown under the umbrella of the European Film Club (EFC), a European film club created by young people who passed through the Young Audience Award and continued to want to see, debate and learn more about the richness of European cinema and its authors. This project now covers 12 to 19 year olds and aims to empower students in film literacy by allowing young people from all over the continent to come together to watch and discuss European films and share their own in a spirit of European citizenship. The films tell every conceivable human story, providing an insight into the lives of others, different cultures and what it means to be European.

The Portuguese Film Academy (PFA) continues to embrace this project of training young audiences and encouraging them to have the power to choose, debate and add their opinions and concerns, and once again our students took part.

To have a higher celebration, our 8th and 7th graders signed up together with young people from all over Europe to take part in various initiatives related to European cinema, fulfilling the international programme.

In the original group there is a Portuguese representative, 18-year-old Maria Bacelar, who has made it all the way through the YAA, as a jury member, reporter, Jury Speaker and her passion for cinema has taken her to Erfurt, Germany, in 2022, to be a presenter at the official YAA ceremony, alongside Emmerson, a colleague from the UK. To represent Póvoa de Varzim, Sara Cortesão, a 7th grade student from Aver-o-Mar School Group, was selected. She bravely travelled to Lisbon in the company of her parents to act as Jury Speaker on 5 November, along with her peers from the other countries, as she did last year. We are proud to thank Sara and her family for their commitment to this activity.

 

Well done, Sara!

The National Police Force promotes a session on “Bullying is for weaklings”

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On 16th October, as a result of the partnership between PSP-Safe School, the Health and Civil Protection Club and the Citizenship and Development Coordinator, all 8th grade students attended the session “Bullying is for weaklings”.

The involvement of the participating students and the positive impact that this initiative has on their lives and on the school environment itself stand out.

We can’t end without mentioning the importance of the ongoing work that has been done in recent years in our school to fight bullying and the extremely important participation of the Safe School Police Programme, whom we would like to thank for their availability and support.

We also note the award by the GED of School Without Bullying | School Without Violence” label  2023/24.

ERASMUS SOCIAL WORK VISIT

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At the request of Professor Elsa Montenegro from the Porto Higher Institute of Social Service (ISSSP), four ERASMUS students attending master’s degrees in Social Service and Social Intervention in Childhood, Youth at Risk of Exclusion, from the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, came to the Aver-o-Mar School Grouping on 8th November to get to know the school reality and the work carried out by the school social service.

They visited the Elementary School of Refojos, Elementary School of Aldeia and Aver-o-Mar School of Aver-o-Mar, as well as their facilities and educational professionals. They observed the intervention carried out by the social work technician with students who are immigrants and there was also time for a meeting to share good practices and intercultural projects.

According to them, “I found it very interesting to see the three schools. I saw that the communication between the teachers and non-teaching staff was very kind and loving and also the bond with the children looked very positive. I think Aver-o-Mar has a lot of facilities that can benefit all the children in growing up into a developed, balanced adult. In addition to this, I think that there are a lot of projects that can really help the children who need some more attention. Interesting and worth full that this preventive projects exist. I think that you are doing well!” (Iza,Netherlands)

 

“It was a great experience to visit the schools and learn something about education in Portugal. We were very welcomed at the schools and everyone we spoke was really friendly. Andreia told us enthusiastically about the way the schools work. I want to thank for this experience.” (Carlijn, Netherlands)

 

“We just wanted to thank you for such a great excursion at your schools. It was very interesting and beneficial!” (Petra, Czechia).

 

Let´s record this moment for the future!

Aver-o-Mar aCross borders!

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