SECOND ACTIVITY: PEACE AND NON-VIOLENCE DAY

About this celebration ...

• Why the 30th of January?

This day is celebrated each 30th January, the date of Mahatma Gandhi’s death, who defended firmly peace and non-violence. His believes still last nowadays as a good example of coexistence among the different cultures.

• Why the dove as peace symbol?

The dove with an olive tree branch was universally known as a peace symbol after the twentieth century wars. It has a biblical origin: It appears in Noah’s Ark after the Flood.

Spanish famous painter Pablo Picasso painted the peace dove and it is one of his most known works.

• What do we do at school?

At school children learn that love is better than egoism, that non-violence is better than violence, that peace is better than war. Our children are educated in tolerance and cooperation attitudes. This day at school we do special activities to commemorate it.

RAFFIE ARRIVES AT SCHOOL

Children at Manuel Ruiz Zorrilla School welcome Raffie the Giraffe, the mascot from Belgium.

FIRST MOBILITY: NANTES IN FRANCE

NEW YEAR'S CARDS

Children prepared New Year's Cards to be sent with Curro to France:

5 years A

5 years B

5 years C

FIRST ACTIVITY: SINTERKLASS FROM BELGIUM

Sinterklaas was born in Turkey, the sixth of December. These days, he lives in Spain, in his beautiful palace. When it is his birthday, he brings toys, candy, chocolates and cookies to the children in Belgium and the Netherlands. He reads children’s letters and keeps in mind which toys they would like to have. Because he has so many children to visit, he has some helpers: the “zwarte pieten”.


They prepare his journey and load the boat. In the middle of November, the ship sets course to the Netherlands and Belgium. His best friend is called “slecht weer vandaag”, his horse who assists him during his nightly trips to children.


The toys, candy, chocolates and cookies are brought at night because they can move a lot faster. This way they don’t get stuck in the traffic. When everything is quiet, they get on the rooftops and distribute the toys by putting them through the chimneys.

This year, Sinterklass has received a special letter from “De Wijze Eik” in Belgium. This letter told him about a very special project that involves several other schools in Europe. They asked him to introduce himself and what could be a better way to do that then sending children from CEIP Manuel Ruiz Zorrilla some very special Sinterklaascandy.