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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40anosue

No dia 15 de maio, as turmas do 10.º D, 11.º E e 12.º F, do Agrupamento de Escolas Ferreira de Castro, foram agraciadas com os testemunhos da Dra. Cristina Perdigão, Vice-presidente do IES, e da Dra. Ana Miguel Pedro, deputada ao Parlamento Europeu. A moderação da conversa esteve a cargo do Dr. Tiago Diniz, do IES. A professora Teresa de Jesus, Presidente do Conselho Geral da Escola, deu início à sessão, destacando a importância do tema para os jovens e proferiu palavras de agradecimento aos participantes e convidados no encerramento do evento.
Há 40 anos, Portugal escolheu fazer parte de um projeto maior: uma Europa unida pela paz e pela cooperação. A força da "família europeia" está na capacidade de unir diferentes culturas em torno de objetivos comuns, oferecendo aos jovens oportunidades que ultrapassam fronteiras e criam um sentimento de pertença, cidadania e esperança, sendo impossível falar do futuro sem destacar o impacto do programa Erasmus+ nos jovens europeus, inclusive nos jovens da nossa Escola.
O programa Erasmus+ é muito mais do que sair de Portugal para estudar ou estagiar noutro país. Como referiu a Dra. Ana Miguel Pedro, é uma experiência que "muda vidas", abre horizontes e cria pontes culturais. Ao viver, aprender e crescer em diferentes realidades, os jovens desenvolvem competências essenciais para o futuro: autonomia, espírito crítico, criatividade e uma visão mais global do mundo.
Investir na União Europeia e no programa Erasmus+ é investir no futuro. É acreditar numa juventude mais confiante, mais participativa e mais bem preparada para enfrentar os desafios de um mundo volátil. Porque quando os jovens crescem com oportunidades, cresce também a Europa que queremos construir: mais forte, mais inclusiva e mais humana.
Professoras Cristina Almeida e Márcia Azevedo

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