Dave Allan One : April 2004

#6 ....................... A Publication Of SchoolNet Global

In This Issue

We meet another of the growing community of teachers who champion the development of Global Education through encouraging and supporting their students' participation in SchoolNet Global's International Collaborative Learning Projects. Then a number of SchoolNet Global students check in from around the world with thoughts and information about their countries.

Meet Anders F�rev�g

Born in 1946, and living on a small island on the west coast of Norway, where he has been working as a teacher for the last 29 years. Anders is trained as both an illustrator/ commercial artist and teacher. He has been active in both professions.

For the last 15 years or so, 75% of his time has been spent running the local Outdoor School, where classes from the mainland come and spend four days on the island, fishing and sailing, rowing and camping. The remaining time is used teaching music at the local primary and secondary school. In addition he has been looking after the computers.

Some years ago R�v�r Skole was a very active participant in the Apple Global Education Network (AGE), joining in on several projects and even winning an international contest producing a school newspaper in 24 hours. The prize was a trip to Belgium for Anders and three of his students where they attended a big Apple conference. The students even had the privilege of interviewing John Scully (then CEO of Apple)! Other personal contacts were established at AGE conferences in Cambridge (England), Askov (Denmark) and Boston (USA).

My Country: Top Of North America!
by Gracie (12) Doncaster Elementary School Victoria, BC. Canada

Inner Harbour, Victoria, BC Canada

I live in the western part of Canada. Victoria, B.C. to be specific. I can't imagine living elsewhere. I know a fair bit about other countries, but I believe that Canada is the most beautiful.

Canadians are well known for being polite, and it's true. Canadians are always helping each other and we work together to keep Canada beautiful. In Victoria we are so lucky to get the weather we get. In December we actually get some sunny days, and in summer...we get heat waves! It almost gets a little too hot, not that I'm complaining really.

Canada has a variety of cultures and religions. We allow people to move here and work to be a Canadian citizen.

Guess what? Canada has quite the Hall of Fame! A couple of the worlds best singers grew up in Canada. Their names are Celine Dion and Shania Twain. More

All You Need In One Place!
by Randi Rasmussen 9th grade R�v�r Skole, R�v�r Island, Norway

R�v�r Island, Norway

R�v�r is a beautiful island on the westcoast of Norway. To get there you have to go by a boat called R�v�rfjord. R�v�rfjord is quite new, and when the weather is fine it is lovely to sit outside on deck!

The island has a rich birdlife, so if birds are in your interest, you should make a visit. Summer, winter, autumn, spring, the hotel on our island is always open (except weekdays, then it's a sea-camp school !) The hotel is a seahouse, with the sea 2 metres outside the window!

R�v�r has a school, and a kindergarden. There are actually two schools; one for the young ones, and one for the older ones. But including all of the pupils, you get 23 pupils. The kindergarden has 6 children, and two nannies, and you can find them
in the chapel-basement.

In the summer, the activity on our beach is huge! The beach is called Lotastranden, and is a great place for you to be if you've got children! Our store is called Hiltahuset. It is a 100 year old house, with old furniture and pictures. In 1899 there was a boat accident on R�v�r. 30 people died. And in Hiltahuset there is an exhibition of this (to find out more, have a visit!) Our museum is ruled by 4 ladies. It has everything you need, but if you want something more than that, you can go by R�v�rfjord to the city Haugesund (the trip takes about 25 minutes)

The nature on R�v�r is wonderful! Especially if you get to see it in the summer! Bad weather, like rain and storm is a well known phenomenon as well. Although, I�m not saying bad weather is ugly! When the waves hit the headland like thunder, and nearly look like a cloud...! Beautiful...

Some of the married couples on R�v�r found each other right here on this island! There are even some who have married another islander!

The lighthouse on R�v�r lies on a little island outside R�v�r. There is a hole, were you can take a swim with your diving mask, and experience life under sea level! Or you can visit the lighthouse!

In the summer our restaurant/cafe is open. R�v�r has it's own speciality called komle, which is really good if you get some bacon with it! I hope you'll find my island interesting, and that you'll give it a visit some day!

104 people live on the island of R�v�r. It is a tiny island situated 10 kilometres northwest of a town called Haugesund on the southwestern coast of Norway. The island belongs to the municipality of Haugesund.

What a place!!
by Antonia Barnett (12) British School Of Brussels

This is a picture of the Atomium at night

Hi, I'm 12 years old and I'm called Toni, I've lived in Belgium for nine years and it's great. I've lived here since I was 2 and I've never had a single problem. The three languages of Belgium are French, German and Dutch. Where I live they mostly speak Dutch. I love it so much in Belgium and it would be horrible to leave because everyone is so friendly!

Belgium might not have the best weather but its summers are lovely, and who could forget the SNOW that you get every winter. Snow (frozen rain) is soft white stuff that falls from the sky and lands on the ground. It will stick together if you push it together and then you can make men called snowmen out of it or snow balls to have fights with, when they hit you they don't hurt.

Belgium has everything you want and more. There are swimming pools in practically every town. Even if they aren't that amazing and don't have slides you can still have fun with your mates. There are a lot of things to see here ... There is also something called the Atomium which is a big building which has huge balls on sticks.(See picture at top.) You can walk around to different bits of the Atomium. More

My Country: Beautiful Canada
by Jeremy (11) Doncaster Elementary School, Victoria, BC. Canada

Pacific Rim Park Vancouver Island BC

I live in Canada, Canada has 10 Provinces and 3 Territories. I Iive in British Columbia which is on the West Coast. I live on an island called Vancouver Island. I live on the very south of the Island. Victoria is were I live and it is the capital of British Columbia. We have lots green grass and a lot of trees. We are getting a new hockey arena and are fixing up our baseball field.

We don't have wars or people who start them. Canada has fresh water and and oceans in the North and on both coasts, We have farms, here, that produce fresh fruit and vegtables.

The Fraser River is a major River in B.C. On Vancouver Island, we are surrounded by an ocean called the Pacific Ocean. It gets really cold down by the water. Mount Whistler is a Mountain that you ski on. That is were the 2010 Winter Olymics are being held. More

Me and my Country
by Skjervold (12) British School Of Brussels

The Norwegian Flag

My country's name is Norway. I was born in a town just outside Oslo, called Baarum. After that my family and I moved to Stockholm in Sweden. We lived there 3 years and then moved to a town in northern Norway. My mother gave birth to my brother and we moved to Trondheim, the 3rd largest city in Norway. This is where I started school but by the time I had started year 4 we had moved to Rome in Italy and stayed there for half a year. We then moved back to Trondheim but only for 3 months and my dad got a job in Brussels, Belgium and the whole family moved to Brussels.

Trondheim, the city I come from, I like the town because my friends and I always go there after school to look in the shops and get a hot chocolate or something to eat at a restaurant! The language, it is a nice language, easy to speak (especially for me, my mother tongue language) and it sounds good! If I could add one more thing it would be the lovely landscape: all the long brightly coloured fields and high mountains. More

My Friend James In Zambia
by Pardon Mwansa (12) British School Of Brussels

Wildlife

My country has a great culture with many legends of spirits and mysteries. My own culture is that of the Bemba tribe, there are many different tribes and I can say that the Bemba tribe is the most popular. The Nyanja tribe is the second most popular then the Soli.

On my holiday I usually go to Luapula Province. Luapula province is one of the biggest provinces in Zambia. It has the biggest population in Zambia. The capital is Mansa.

Some of the tribes migrated from South Africa, Malawi and Mozambique. In 1964 we gained our independence . Most of our dances are very old and very interesting in their way . The chief of my people is one of the most kind people and generous to the people he rules. More

Gossip from Soho- Central London
by Sinead

Soho

Soho is right in the heart of Central London, the capital of England. In it there's Regents and St James Parks great places to relax. To watch a movie you can pop down to Leicester Square with a choice of the dozens of cinemas. If it's shows or musicals you're into the Strand is only a bus ride away. If it's shopping you want, well there's so many I can't list them all, but try Oxford Street and Regents Street for all the latest styles. I'm not going to list places to eat because they're all over the place. I mean you can get Chinese, currys, Sushi, fish and chips, Thai, or even just go to a hip cafe for a coffee. More