Jan.27 - Holocaust Memorial Day

Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) is commemorated internationally on 27th January each year. This date was chosen as it is the anniversary of the day in 1945 on which the Soviet Army liberated the largest Nazi concentration camp – Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Each year, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust urges everyone in the UK to pause and reflect on what can happen when racism, prejudice and exclusionary behaviour are left unchecked. On HMD we take the time to see how the lessons of the past can play a part in our communities today.

Each HMD has an annual theme which provides a focus for HMD activities. The theme for HMD 2010 is The Legacy of Hope.

Anyone can organise a HMD activity and HMDT provide free resources to enable you to do so. Hundreds of HMD events take place on or around HMD across the UK. There’s no such thing as a right or wrong HMD event – whether events are for invited guests in a council chamber, open to the general public in a large public space or a closed event within a school or college – each event marks this key date in the equalities and human rights calendar.

HMD provides a time for us to:

•Remember the victims and survivors of the Holocaust, Nazi persecution and those affected by subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and during the ongoing atrocities in Darfur.

•Ensure that the historical events associated with the Holocaust continue to be regarded as being of fundamental importance.

•Raise awareness and understanding of the events of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides as a continuing issue for all humanity, based on a recognition that it could happen again anywhere and at any time, unless we ensure that our society opposes discrimination, persecution and racism.

•Highlight the values of a society which respects and celebrates the differences between individuals and communities, based upon the notion of universal dignity and equal rights and responsibilities for all its citizens.

Statement of Purpose.

HMD is a day for everyone. It’s an opportunity for all the diverse strands of our communities to come together. It’s also an opportunity for groups or organisations to remember the past and commit to creating a better future. HMD can be commemorated individually or collectively.

HMD has taken place in the UK since 2001. It was established at a meeting on 27 January 2000, when representatives from forty-four governments around the world met in Stockholm to discuss Holocaust education, remembrance and research. At the conclusion of the forum, the delegates unanimously signed a declaration. This forms the HMD Statement of Commitment which is used as a basis for events and commemorations.

Url para video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ofe6LyzfGi0

                                 This video contains potentially disturbing images

NEW YEAR'S DAY in the U.K.

CUSTOMS and TRADITIONS

England celebrates the New Year from the evening of December 31st into January 1st. Traditionally it is not as widely celebrated as Christmas, but the year 2000 saw a large change. For instance people did not used to celebrate New Year with fireworks (they were reserved for Bonfire Night), but last year and this all across England people were setting off fireworks on the stroke of midnight.

More traditionally, on the stroke of midnight, people open the back door (to let the old year out) and ask the first dark haired man to be seen to come through the front door carrying salt, coal and bread. This means that the following year everyone in the house will have enough to eat (bread), enough money (salt) and be warm enough (coal).

In Scotland they always seem to celebrate New Year better than anywhere else. The celebration of New Year's Eve is called "Hogmanay". The word Hogmanay comes from a kind of oat cake that was traditionally given to children on New Year's Eve.

In Edinburgh the celebrations always include a massive party from Prince's Street to the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle. Unfortunately due to overcrowding in the past the event is now ticket only.

On New Year's Day (actually from the stroke of midnight) the tradition of first footing is observed. This is because the first person to set foot in a residence in a New Year is thought to profoundly affect the fortunes of everyone who lives there. Generally strangers are thought to bring good luck.

Depending on the area, it may be better to have a dark-haired or fair-haired stranger set foot in the house, but it does mean Scotland is a very welcoming place for strangers at New Year!

Wales

New Year's Eve is called "Nos Galan" in Welsh, and while they also believe in letting out the old year and letting in the new , if the first visitor in the New Year is a woman and a man opens the door it's considered bad luck. In addition, if the first man to cross the threshold in the New Year is a red head, that is also bad luck.

People in Wales also believe that you should pay off all debts before the New Year begins. Tradition states that ending a year in debt means a whole new year of debt.

On New Year's Day "Dydd Calan" in Wales the children get up early to visit their neighbors and sing songs. They are given coins, mince pies, apples and other sweets for singing. This stops at midday.

It can also depend on where you live as to when you celebrate New Year in Wales. Some areas still celebrate Dydd Calan on January 12th.

The History of the Parade

Ever wondered how one of the World’s great turn of year traditions came about?

The New Year’s Day Parade – London has evolved in to one of the World’s great street spectaculars with up to 10,000 performers from across continents, hundreds of thousands of spectators on the streets – and a live television audience of tens of millions.

But way back in the 20th Century in the event’s formative years – the parade was a relatively humble affair.The first "Lord Mayor of Westminster's Big Parade", as it was then known, took place on 1st January 1987 and even though a lot smaller than today London had never seen anything quite like it.

It provided a feast of free entertainment for all the family on what had probably become the dreariest day of the year. Featuring hundreds of dancers and musicians from home and abroad, it put real American style razzmatazz onto the streets of London. It received such an overwhelming ‘thumbs up’ from Londoners, tourists and indeed also from the authorities, that it looked like it was here to stay.

Nearly 25 years on, the New Year’s Day Parade London is the biggest event of its kind in the world, boasts a street-side audience approaching 1/2 a million, receives a huge amount of international media coverage, has a list of Patrons that represent the very highest levels of officialdom, and also enjoys the recognition and support of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Put simply, the event has grown from something that started big to something that is now colossal.

Link to the movie- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfqEkgFfr-E

22 to 7 March - FAIR TRADE FORTNIGHT

22 to 28 FEB - Students VOLUNTEERING WEEK

Feb 21 - INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY

Feb 16 - SHROVE TUESDAY in G.Britain

FEB 15 - INTERNATIONAL CHILDHOOD CANCER DAY in the U.K.

14 to 21 FEB - NATIONAL NEST BOX WEEK

Feb 14 - CHINESE NEW YEAR 4708 in the U.K.

8 to 14 FEB - WORLD ORPHAN WEEK

8 to 14 FEB. - NATIONAL MARRIAGE WEEK

Feb 5th - UNICEF - Day for change in the U.K.

Feb 2 - CANDLEMAS

Feb 1 to 7 : NATIONAL SALT AWARENESS WEEK

January - CHRISTMAS CARD RECYCLING MONTH

New Year's Eve / Day Crafts, Lessons and Activities for children

CUTLERY WIND CHIMES (all ages)

Here you can recycle plastic cutlery and a paper plate (from holiday parties) to make a set of wind chimes. [read more]

COFFEE CAN DRUM

Drums are an important part of life and ceremony in many cultures.

You can make maracas using simple materials from around the home.

MOSAIC CANDLES   

These colourful TP roll "candles" are such fun to make and a joy to look at.

NINE EASY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS TO MAKE  (all ages )

Make one or all of these fun and easy musical instruments to encourage play and creativity. . You can use drink bottles  or cans to make them

NEW YEAR'S PARTY HAT

These festive hats are easy to make and fun to wear.

The aim of this month is to aware people that protecting the environment is the best way to live a heathy life in a healthy clean planet.

                                         The Three R's of the Environment

Every year, Americans throw away 50 billion food and drink cans, 27 billion glass bottles and jars, and 65 million plastic and metal jar and can covers. More than 30% of our waste is packaging materials. Where does it all go? Some 85% of our garbage is sent to a dump, or landfill, where it can take from 100 to 400 years for things like cloth and aluminum to decompose. Glass has been found in perfect condition after 4,000 years in the earth!

We are quickly running out of space. It's time to learn the three R's of the environment: reduce, reuse, recycle. Then practice what you preach: don't buy things you don't need or items that come in wasteful packaging or that cannot be recycled. Reuse and recycle whatever you can.

Reduce

Reducing the amount of waste you produce is the best way to help the environment. There are lots of ways to do this.

•Buy products that don't have a lot of packaging. Some products are wrapped in many layers of plastic and paperboard even though they don't need to be. You can also look for things that are packed in materials that don't require a lot of energy or resources to produce. Some products will put that information right on their labels.

•Cars use up energy and cause pollution. Some ways to reduce the environmental damage caused by cars include carpooling with friends, walking, taking the bus, or riding your bike instead of driving.

•Start a compost bin. Some people set aside a place in their yard where they can dispose of certain food and plant materials. Over time, the materials will break down through a natural process called decomposition. The compost is good for the soil in your yard and means that less garbage will go to the landfill.

•You can reduce waste by using a computer! Many newspapers and magazines are online now. Instead of buying the paper versions, you can find them on the Internet. Also remember that you should print out only what you need. Everything you print that you don't really need is a waste of paper.

•Save energy by turning off lights that you are not using.

•Save water by turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth.

•Lots of families receive a large amount of advertisements and other junk mail that they do not want. You can stop the mailings and reduce waste by writing to the following address and requesting that they take your name off of their distribution list:

Direct Marketing Association Mail Preference Service

P.O. Box 9008

Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008

Reuse

Instead of throwing things away, try to find ways to use them again! For example:

•Bring cloth sacks to the store with you instead of taking home new paper or plastic bags. You can use these sacks again and again. You'll be saving some trees!

•Plastic containers and reusable lunch bags are great ways to take your lunch to school without creating waste.

•Coffee cans, shoe boxes, margarine containers, and other types of containers people throw away can be used to store things or can become fun arts and crafts projects. Use your imagination!

•Don't throw out clothes, toys, furniture, and other things that you don't want anymore. Somebody else can probably use them. You can bring them to a center that collects donations, give them to friends, or even have a yard sale.

•Use all writing paper on both sides.

•Use paper grocery bags to make book covers rather than buying new ones.

•Use silverware and dishes instead of disposable plastic utensils and plates.

•Store food in reusable plastic containers.

Recycle

Many of the things we use every day, like paper bags, soda cans, and milk cartons, are made out of materials that can be recycled. Recycled items are put through a process that makes it possible to create new products out of the materials from the old ones.Many brands of paper towels, garbage bags, greeting cards, and toilet paper, to name a few examples, will tell you on their labels if they are made from recycled materials.

In addition to recycling the things you buy, you can help the environment by buying products that contain recycled materials. Many brands of paper towels, garbage bags, greeting cards, and toilet paper, to name a few examples, will tell you on their labels if they are made from recycled materials.

In some towns you can leave your recyclables in bins outside your home, and a truck will come and collect them regularly. Other towns have recycling centers where you can drop off the materials you've collected. Things like paper and plastic grocery bags, and plastic and aluminum cans and bottles can often be brought to the grocery store for recycling. Whatever your system is, it's important to remember to rinse out and sort your recyclables!

Url for the official video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2DfTCfYACE                                         Mitchel Musso -"The thrre Rs"

Url for the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKdZYYmTT9A

                           "The 3Rs"

MARACAS

January 30-31 / BIG GARDEN BIRDWATCH WEEK

It's 30 years since the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) launched the Big Garden Birdwatch. In that time, Britons have clocked up more than three million hours surveying birds in our gardens.

 Pictured bird: Goldfinch

The weather is set to be fairly awful (again/still/typical/whatever) in the UK this weekend ( Jan 30 /31 ) so why not sit by a window in a comfy chair and take part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch?

I will be - and then sending in my sightings to help the RSPB ascertain the state of the UK’s garden birds population.

 Will I get my first House Sparrow of the year? A Starling, Collared Dove, or Feral Pigeon? The excitement mounts (a bit)…

Charlie works for an airline and has birded all over the world for twenty years. He wants to be a writer, and thinks no-one would believe his life could be so charmed if he didn't take photos of as many of the birds he sees as possible. Blogging with 10,000 Birds fits his aims, needs, and insecurities perfectly. Really - do birders get much more fortunate than this?

Charlie

By Charlie • January 29, 2010

E-mailing Charlie: Hello Charlie I am planning on doing the birdwatch tommorrow morning and looking forward to seeing the many differnt types in the garden.

30 Jan. to 6 Feb. - NATIONAL STORYTELLING WEEK

The Society for Storytelling was set up to promote the oldest art form in the world. Storytelling is at the root of every art form: we think in story form, make sense of our world in narrative - from something we’ve seen - from last night’s television, to what family and folk stories we remember and retell. Performance storytelling can be a powerful experience, both entertaining and moving. Story is also the traditional medium of communication from generation to generation, a tool for education and therapy. The deaf community carry their stories in the palm of their hands and write them in the air. For visually impaired people, storytelling is a natural accessible medium that stimulates all the senses of the imagination.

The Society for Storytelling seeks through National Storytelling Week to give all elements of the tradition their voice.

National Storytelling Week was conceived in the year 2000 AD to increase public awareness of the art, practice and value of oral storytelling. It is held during the first week of February every year.

This week was chosen because it is not too close to Christmas and coincides with Candlemas, which falls on the 2nd of February. Part of the rituals for this old church festival includes a blessing on the throat, a prime tool in the store of nearly all storytellers of every belief and culture.

The first publicity for National Storytelling Week is issued now to national and local media in the late spring. This allows for teachers and others who perhaps need a greater length of time to prepare their ideas for events. Other Press Releases follow in late summer and early winter as the build up grows. Indeed throughout the months of December and January each year the Society for Storytelling is deluged with post and emails of interest and participation in this rapidly growing national event. In 2007 the seventh year of National Storytelling Week there were 1,040 events held throughout the country

The Society for Storytelling provides advice on organising and publicising events, possible sources for funding information.

The National Storytelling Week Pack contains information on promoting storytelling events, storytelling in schools, libraries museums and art galleries and a whole series of pamphlets on storytelling in fields such as business, health, and therapy where its use has very specific disciplines

In 2009 National Storytelling Week reached 16,000 people of various ages with storytelling events and performances in schools, arts centres, libraries, theatres, museums, pubs, bookshops, storytelling clubs, retirement homes and prisons!

Url to the film:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs1-adhVFqw

                                   David Walliams Debut Book - "The boy in the dress"

January 29th - SOS day in the U.K.

SOS day is the RNLI’s biggest fundraising day of the year and it’s a great way to get 2010 off to a cracking start, while helping to save lives at sea. Anyone can take part, anywhere and anyhow! See what you can do to join in and do something to support the RNLI this SOS day.

Surprise donation to Barry Dock for SOS Day

29/01/2010

The family of teenager Jason McCarthy, who almost drowned while swimming off Barry Island in September, have planned a special visit to the station today on the charity’s annual fundraising day. Grandfather John Williams, of Cwmbran, who handed the volunteer crew £200 after Jason was saved, is now presenting an additional £100 towards RNLI SOS Day.

Mr Williams, will be joined by Jason and his father Mostyn McCarthy in visiting the RNLI rescuers who spotted the teenager face down in the water, not breathing and without a pulse. He got into difficulty whilst out swimming with a friend. They will be offering their best wishes to the RNLI crew as they celebrate the charity’s biggest fundraising day of the year.

RNLI branches and guilds, groups, schools, businesses and organisations across Wales and beyond will be getting involved in SOS inspired events today. From a Sip Our Soup lunch at St Davids’ City Hall to a See Our Snowdrops open garden event at Angle in Pembrokeshire, people have been pulling out all the stops to support the RNLI’s volunteer crews

URL for the Film - SOS DAY DAY

 :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkVeBXw5H50

25 to 29 January - FARMHOUSE BREAKFAST WEEK

A wealth of wonderful breakfast produce can be found in Britain – there are freshly baked speciality breads, artisan sausages, hand cured bacons, farmhouse cheeses and wholegrain cereals. Why not try a sausage and caramelised onion sandwich using your favourite types of sausage and bread for a tasty morning treat.

Fast and fabulous

During a busy week, getting the family up and out with food in their tummies can be a real chore for mums. Porridge is perfect for taking the work out of breakfast – jazz it up with some tangy orange or lemon curd, or whizz up a comforting smoothie with warm porridge and berries. Something new for the kids? Then eggy bread muffins and bacon are fast and fun, and a slice of homemade banana and honey breakfast loaf will see them through until break time.

Something for the weekend

Nothing beats a lazy weekend lie-in than a delicious brunch. Poached egg and ham, draped over big, flat mushrooms, topped with grilled cheese is irresistible. Or, for a special treat, make your own toasted honey muesli and serve with fruit compote made from seasonal fruits.

Watching your weight

People who start the day with a healthy breakfast are more likely to be within their ideal weight range than people who skip breakfast . Making time for breakfast can stave off mid-morning hunger pangs as well as provide vital nutrients. For a deliciously low fat start to the day, try baked eggs in tomatoes, at only 1109 KJ/265 kcals/portion or a breakfast trifle, at only 1084 KJ/259 kcals/portion.

To celebrate the nation’s most essential meal of the day, a selection of breakfast recipes have been created for Farmhouse Breakfast Week 2010, available in a new recipe booklet and online with nutritional analysis at www.farmhousebreakfast.com.

• Eggy bread muffins with bacon – good family fun

• Warm porridge smoothie – winter warming goodness

• Sausage & caramelised onion sandwich – everyone’s favourite

• Bacon stack – weekend treat

• Mushrooms, with poached egg and ham – easy, yet impressive

• Banana & honey breakfast loaf – grab ‘n’ go anytime

• Toasted honey muesli with fruit compote – nutty goodness

• Orange curd porridge – deliciously different

• Baked eggs & tomatoes – low fat, yet filling

• Breakfast trifle – deliciously simple

Actually the Farmhouse Breakfast Week is an annual campaign in the UK to promote how important it is to eat a healthy breakfast every day.

Url to the video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND-yuwJO4Rk

                              Farmhouse Breakfast week - Tameside College

25 to 29 January - CANCERTALK WEEK in the UK

Cancertalk Week is evolving, and from January 2010 it will be an adult-focused event. So why not continue to raise awareness of cancer among your colleagues in the staffroom by getting involved and ordering some of our leaflets and resources?
And don't worry - we haven't forgotten your pupils. We believe it's essential that the myths and taboos that surround cancer are addressed directly. That's why we have loads of great resources to help you and your pupils talk openly and honestly about cancer, at any time of the year.

Cancertalk in class

URl to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM-YXBOMYnc 

                         Comedian Ed Byrne talks about Cancer and says this year Cancertalk is focusing on men.

January 17th - WORLD RELIGION DAY

AN EVENT to celebrate World Religion Day and promote understanding between people of different spiritual faiths will be held in Peterborough on the 27th January.

The event is being organised by the Baha'i Community Peterborough, and will feature readings from various religions, music and a short speech from deputy mayor Cllr Pamela Winslade.

It will be held at Peterborough Town Hall, in Bridge Street, on Wednesday at 6.30pm.

The aim of this day is to foster the establishment of interfaith.

                                                                   ST Paul's Cathedral

Mosque in Regent's park

URL to the video: UK prime minister sent Ramadam greetings to the Muslims of Kuwait

                                                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNzSBnT7exk

January 6th - EPIPHANY

Celebrates the visit of the three wise men  (magi) to the infant Jesus .

January 4th - WORLD BRAILLE DAY

Louis Braille's birthdate: 4 January, 1809

An annual opportunity for blindness organizations to promote litteracy, showcase their work and raise public awareness of blindness issues

Louis Braille became blind at the age of 3, when he accidentally poked himself in the eye with a stitching awl, one of his father's workshop tools. The injury wasn't thought to be serious until it got infected. Braille's other eye went blind because of sympathetic ophthalmia.

At the very young age of 10, Braille earned a scholarship to the National Institute for the Blind in Paris, one of the first of its kind in the world. However, the conditions in the school were not notably better.Braille, a bright and creative student, became a talented cellist and organist in his time at the school, playing the organ for churches all over France.

In 1821, Charles Barbier, a Captain in the French Army, visited the school. Barbier shared his invention called "night writing" a code of 12 raised dots and a number of dashes that let soldiers share top-secret information on the battlefield without having to speak. The code was too difficult for Louis to understand and he later changed the number of raised dots to 6 to form what we today call Braille.

"Louis Braille" in braille

The same year, Louis Braille began inventing his raised-dot system with his father's stitching awl, the same implement with which he had blinded himself, finishing at the age 15. Inspired by the wooden dice his father gave to him, his system used only six dots which corresponded to letters The 6-dot system allowed the recognition of letters with a single fingertip apprehending all the dots at once.These dots consisted of patterns in order to keep the system easy to learn. Braille later extended his system to include notation for mathematics and music. The first book in Braille was published in 1829 under the title Method of Writing Words, Music, and Plain Songs by Means of Dots, for Use by the Blind and Arranged for Them.

Braille became a well-respected teacher at the Institute. Although he was admired and respected by his pupils, his writing system was not taught at the Institute during his lifetime. He died in Paris of tuberculosis in 1852 at the age of 43.

His system was finally officially recognized in France two years after his death, in 1854.

Happy Valentine's day

May this day fill your hearts full of love and gratitude.
VALENTINE WALTZ - Music : original by Mike Hughes Chamberlain

Use this link: http:// www.jacquielawson.com/preview.asp?cont=1&hdn=o&mpv=3111927

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Link to jacquielawson.com - animated banner advertisement or card of the month.


MAY THIS YEAR FULFIL ALL YOUR DREAMS !

 Use this link: http://www.jacquielawson.com/preview.asp?pv=cotm
 Music: original by Mike Hughes Chamberlain

25 -29 January : UK - Allergy and Food Intollerance Week

      1 in 3 of the UK population are affected by allergies at some point in their lives. " Allergy UK" is the national charity which , year after year, aims to raise awareness of these health problems. People suffering from allergy or food intolerance can live a happy normal life as long as food ingredients that might cause the allergy are checked.

This is a national campaign organised by "Allergy UK" running from 25 to 29 January 2010. The proportion of the population with a true food allergy is currently estimated to be 1-2% of adults and 5-6% of children.

That is over 1.5 million people in the UK. These allergies can be potentially fatal and can strike at any age. But many as 45% of the population suffer from food intolerance.  Food intolerances can make all aspects of life very uncomfortable for sufferers.

Food allergy and food intolerance are both types of ‘food sensitivity'. The main differences between them are the length of time it takes for symptoms to appear and the type of symptoms involved. When someone has a food allergy, their immune system reacts to a particular food.

This causes immediate symptoms, such as itchiness, rash and swelling. Sometimes this reaction is so severe that people can experience life-threatening reactions.

Food intolerance doesn't involve the immune system. The symptoms of food intolerance can be unpleasant and severe in some cases and they can affect your long-term health, but are generally not life-threatening.

There are common foods responsible for food allergies and intolerances such as peanuts, other nuts, eggs, milk, soya, cereals containing gluten, fish and seafood, etc

All pre-packed foods must give a list of ingredients. Always check the ingredients on a food product to see if it contains the food you need to avoid. .

In addition all pre-packed foods, including alcoholic drinks must clearly show on the label if it contains any of the common allergenic foods, or even if one of its ingredients contains, or is made from, one of these foods.

"Allergy UK" it's not just a helpline ...in fact it´s a lifeline. We provide support and information to allergy sufferers.

                          PLEASE HELP US TO KEEP HELPING YOU.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHC0_E9uTo0 - link para vídeo:

" Coping with food allergies-Food  allergy substitutes"

15 to 21 February : Great Britain - National CHIP Week

National Chip week is once more declared as a huge sucess in its nineteen year history.

The campaign reached 206 million people - three times the equivalent of every UK citizen.

National chip week is considered a major calendar event  by consumers and media alike.

Over 800 Fish 'n Chips shops actively participated in the event.

When we talk about nutrition and health , 50 per cent of the nutritionists believe that there is a place for chips in a well balanced diet and a great number of consumers believe potatoes are low in fat.

Potato consumption has increased very much on the younger generation.

15 to 21 February 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRaVfIoqCCI - link para video " JAMES BOND"