School life

Hey everyone, I’m back! It’s been a bit since I wrote, and I’m super excited to share everything with you all. School here is really different from my old one, the awesome St. Mary’s. I can’t wait for you to come along and learn all about it. Now, let’s jump in!

This might not be the same for every school, but I always take notes. For each subject, I have a special notebook, which really helps me study and learn. Every student still has their regular textbooks for the lessons, but there are way fewer worksheets. The teacher gives us a summary of what we learned that day, and I make sure to write it down so I can remember it when I study later. They teach us by writing on the board or showing a slideshow. I really like this way of teaching because it helps me understand things better, and I can write down any questions or comments I have about what we’re learning. Here’s a page from my Science notebook. I use bright colors to keep myself motivated—if everything was just black and white, I wouldn’t be as interested, and I probably wouldn’t study as hard!

The photo might not be perfect, but it shows what I do at school in Portugal. I’m working on my note-taking and trying to make my handwriting better. This Christmas, I want to ask for some fun new colorful pens because right now I’m just using markers. Markers are okay, but I want those thin pens to help me write neatly like I do with a pencil or a regular black or blue pen. I have pens don’t worry, but I really need colors!

Okay, that’s enough about note taking; let’s get into the schedule. It’s pretty similar, but also different at the same time. There’s no homeroom here. The moment you step into the classroom, you dive straight into your first class, and instead of moving from room to room for each subject, the teachers come to us. Plus, no two days are alike! While that may be standard for some, it’s a fresh experience for me since at St. Marys we had a consistent schedule with subjects like E.L.A., math, and science every day. Here, we only have math twice a week, which is great, though the material can be a challenge. And guess what? We have computer classes! It’s fantastic because we get dedicated time to finish assignments and projects. Wednesday is my favorite day; we have two math classes, two English classes, two computer classes, and P.E. Unfortunately, right now we’re just working on forming sentences, but at least I get a break from hard material. It can be boring at times, but at least it’s not Portuguese! While Portuguese is a hurdle, it’s manageable—I’m picking it up quickly, thanks to our supportive teacher who helps me navigate the language. All the teachers show genuine care, making school feel like a close-knit family. In summary, school here is very different, but both St. Marys and Colégio da Bafureira are amazing. I’m really lucky. Bye for now!

— Anna

Portuguese word of the day: Escola (es-call-uh)

Meaning of the word: School