Model United Nations (MUN) is a worldwide academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate students about current events, topics of international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda. During conferences around the world, student participants role-play as representatives of an assigned country in mock committees of the UN. Our MUN team of 12 students is in Denmark this week participating in the MUN Conference in Nyborg, a small city outside of Copenhagen. The team, under the advisorship of Mr. Ian Harrington, arrived safely and are spending almost every waking hour to prepare and research for each day’s conference sessions. This year, we are representing France, Morocco and Iran. Visit our Image Gallery to enjoy photos of our MUN team in Nyborg!

In the spring of 1939, a number of distinguished citizens of Thessaloniki, academicians and businessmen, founded the Society for Macedonian Studies as a center for collecting, recording, preserving, studying, and publishing articles and books  on linguistic, folklore, historical, archaeological, and general archival issues which relate to Macedonia in particular and Greece in general. Consistently loyal to these aims, the Society has endeavored ever since, to the best of its abilities, to promote and foster scientific research in all fields of study.

On the 5^th of February Pinewood Middle School students were invited to visit the Society’s Headquarters, and be guided in their prestigious Library. It was really very educational to see and learn how a very specialized 70.000 volume Library operates. The highlight of our tour, however, was the rare book center, where the Director of the Library, Mr.  Kouroudis showed us some of their most precious books, including Byzantine and Ottoman manuscripts. It was really a special treat to see, at such close proximity, such special books.

We continued our day-tour with Yeni Camii, a historical Mosque, designed by the Italian architect Vitaliano Poseli in 1902 for the city's Donmeh community. Situated in the middle of an unattractive neighborhood, Poseli’s building instantly grabbed our attention. Yeni Camii, the ‘New Mosque, is a strange mixture of Art Nouveau, Byzantine and Moorish architectural elements, a stained glass window above the entrance door, a sharp-edged ornamental roof frieze and two wooden clock towers, decorated with multiple Stars of David.

Built for the extravagant but highly intellectual and progressive Donmeh community of Thessaloniki, Yeni Camii does them justice. Poseli’s style of architecture describes them for what they represented: eclecticism, a taste for the elegant, and a slightly extravagant lifestyle.  Please visit our Image Gallery to see a slide show of our wonderful experience.

Amalia Spiliakou

Host Country Studies Coordinator

A number of students in grades 10 –12 have been chosen to participate in this year’s AMC mathematical contest on February 5.

The mission of the MAA (Mathematical Association of America) Competitions is to increase interest in mathematics and to develop problem solving through a fun competition. Students gain the opportunity to learn and achieve through competition with students in their school and from around the world. Teachers and schools benefit from the chance to challenge students with interesting mathematical questions that are aligned with curriculum standards at all levels of difficulty.

The AMC 12 covers high school mathematics, and is for students in high school who are under 19.5 years of age. The AMC 10 covers mathematics normally associated with grades 9 and 10, and is for students under 17.5 years of age who are not enrolled in grades 11, 12, or equivalent. Both contests are given in a convenient 75-minute interval, 25 questions in length, with approximately 12 questions common to both contests.

Thank you to Ms. Mary Tsoulfa, Math Coordinator for her efforts in organizing the competition.

We look forward to learning the results in the coming months!

PreK 1 with Mrs. Ann & Mrs. Carol

Pre K1 began the new year by looking at the weather. So far they haven't had any snow but that didn't stop them. Shaving cream became the softest snow of all and the children had great fun enjoying the texture of pretend snow whilst finger painting. The North wind did blow and the children ran around the playground with their weather centers.

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PreK2 with Mrs. Fay & Mrs. Anthoula

This week Pre-K 2 has been learning all about our planet Earth and its various geographical features such as mountains, oceans, rivers, lakes and our favourite – volcanoes! We have talked about the fact that only our diverse planet provides the necessary conditions to sustain human, animal and plant life, and looked at the composition of the Earth from within – the inner and outer core, the mantle and the crust. The children have been busy colouring, painting and labeling, from watercolour landscapes to diagrams of volcanoes, and they have spent the week marking various geographical features on their world maps.

All those in the Pre-K 2 vicinity should be on the lookout as the countdown begins to our very own volcanic eruption. Watch out for spewing lava, molten rock and bits of rubble flying about (with a hint of vinegar, baking soda and a papier mache construction)!

Moon Fun in Kindergarten with Mrs. Tammy & Mrs. Cathy

Kindergarten Comets are zipping through space this month.  The students have begun their space adventures, learning about the solar system.  After learning facts about the moon, the students drew the various phases of the moonn and then followed the night sky to record 10 days of Moon phases in their calendars.  Although we all would have loved to go to the moon and see it up close, we  had to settle for eating it instead!  See how we carved away at our OREO COOKIE centers to show the moon's phases. Yummy moons and a cup of our milky white galaxy!!  SCHOOL IS COOL!

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