A memorable journey to London

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During the first week of September, between the 4th and the 9th, the 11th grade students of Escola Básica e Secundária Ferreira de Castro had the amazing opportunity to visit some of London's most iconic attractions and places. They were accompanied by their teachers Ângela Costa, Isabel Moutinho, Júlia Lopes, and Marta Pinho.

On their first day, after leaving their luggage at the hotel, they learned how to take the underground and headed to the Madame Tussauds Museum. There, they were excited to see wax replicas of various people ranging from actors to musicians, the British Royal Family, Princess Diana and iconic movie characters and franchises. In the evening, they experienced an amazing musical theatre production of Mamma Mia! by the theatre company Delfont Mackintosh Theatres.

During the morning of the second day, they visited the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. Some students even got to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum, had that been their preference. All three museums offered an enriching experience, allowing the students to expand their scientific vocabulary in a fun, entertaining way. During the afternoon they walked around London, visiting parks, Buckingham Palace and the Big Ben. In the evening, they explored Piccadilly Circus and Chinatown freely, enhancing their conversational English.

On the third day, and arguably the most tiring day, they walked around Camden Town during the morning, learning more about the local culture and, in the afternoon, they had the opportunity to walk the Millennium Bridge and see St.Paul's Cathedral and the Shakespeare's Globe as well as the Tate Modern Museum. After dinner, they observed the London Eye and the Big Ben at night with their lights lit up, taking in the beautiful view.

During the fourth day, in the morning, they saw the Tower Bridge before travelling to Greenwich and, during the afternoon they saw a breathtaking view of London while inside the London Eye. After what felt like a couple of minutes in the London Eye they visited the London Dungeon, an immersive story-driven horror experience that left some excited and some scared to continue the journey inside. After leaving, they visited the famous Leake Street Arches, observing various graffiti.

During what should have been their last day, the students visited the British Museum and the Covent Garden Market. Some students also visited the National Art Gallery, expanding their knowledge on art from the 13th to the 20th century. After lunch, they headed towards the airport to catch their flight and, upon arriving at the check-in, found out that their flight had been cancelled. After tiring hours of waiting they discovered that they would have to spend the night at the Gatwick Airport until their flight in the afternoon of the following day. The night was unforgiving as the students and teachers slept on the cold floor of the airport, barely having any news about their situation.

Overall, even though they had that problem at the airport and walked a lot during the day, this was an enriching and fun experience, where the students had the opportunity to learn more about a different culture and country as well as practice their English skills and make new friends through an experience that a textbook could never provide. It was a remarkable experience that they will always remember and cherish.


Tatiana Borges 12.º A

CANDIDATURA A BOLSA DE MÉRITO

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No passado dia 14 de maio de 2026, os alunos do 11.º B, acompanhados da professora de Biologia e Geologia, Alexandra Esteves, realizaram uma enriquecedora saída de campo ao Arouca Geopark, integrada na rota da Mizarela às Pedras Parideiras. A atividade decorreu sob um agradável dia de sol, embora marcado por um vento gelado característico da serra.
Na imponente Serra da Freita, os alunos puderam observar como as rochas graníticas e xistentas moldam a paisagem, criando cenários de rara beleza natural e preservando o ambiente rural serrano tão característico desta área. Ao longo do percurso, destacou-se a visita ao Miradouro da Frecha da Mizarela, local privilegiado para contemplar a maior queda de água de Portugal continental.
Neste ponto, foi possível compreender a importância do contacto litológico da Mizarela, observando-se o comportamento distinto do granito e do xisto perante os fenómenos de meteorização e erosão diferencial. Estes processos naturais explicam a formação da impressionante queda de água do Rio Caima, um dos ex-líbris naturais da região.
A saída de campo incluiu ainda uma visita à Casa das Pedras Parideiras – Centro de Interpretação, espaço dedicado à divulgação científica e à valorização deste fenómeno geológico único no mundo. Aqui, os alunos aprofundaram conhecimentos sobre a história do planeta Terra e, em particular, sobre as profundas transformações ocorridas no final da Era Paleozoica.
Seguiu-se uma paragem no Campo de Dobras da Castanheira, onde os alunos tiveram oportunidade de analisar estruturas geológicas resultantes das intensas forças tectónicas que moldaram o território ao longo de milhões de anos.
Esta atividade revelou-se uma experiência educativa de grande valor, permitindo aliar a aprendizagem científica à observação direta da natureza, promovendo simultaneamente o contacto com o património geológico e paisagístico do concelho de Arouca, e o convívio entre os vários elementos da turma.

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