Education

Nowadays it’s senselessly to speak about the importance of education in the modern world. Education has become the leading power of the technological progress andthus of the whole development of the humanity. Without education science, medicine, computing, space discoveries would be unachievable.

It is common knowledge that success of school education depends mainly on the teachers, their professional skill, their attitude to the subjects they teach and the kind of relationship they can establish with the pupils.

Most children in Belarus start school at the age of 6. The school year begins on 1 September for all grades and lasts thirty-four weeks; holidays take up a total of thirty calendar days. School-leaving examinations at grade 9 and 11 are held in June.

School education in Belarus consists of elementary( or primary), basic and secondary school.  The five-year basic secondary school is compulsory. Upon completion of grade 9 students have to take the examinations to receive the certificate of basic education.  Basic school graduates can continue their studies at technicums, uchilishche and colleges,  where they can  get vocational training and secondary general education or they can continue their  education in schools, gymnasiums or lyceums.   

At the end of grade 11 (general secondary education) students sit the final examination and if successful receive the certificate of (complete) general secondary education.

Belarus has one of the highest student-to-population ratios in Europe. The higher education system in Belarus is seen as prestigious due to its high quality and affordability.  

So, as you can see, the system of education in the Republic of Belarus is based on national traditions and global trends in education area. These guarantee equal access to all education stages, unification of the requirements, continuity of all training stages and state financial support.

School traditions

When I am talking about my school I mean a whole complex of things which made up my life there, influenced my views and outlook, formed my character to some degree. I studied at Ivye Gymnasium № 1.It is famous for its high quality of education.

Our school has a lot of exciting traditions. Traditions in our school – it’s something that has existed for a long time. In our school, we have similar traditions as in Britain. We have such events as Teacher’s Day, Autumn Sports Week, School Olympiads, Women’s Day, Health Day, Reunion Day, The Day of knowledge, the Last bell, Graduation Day.

 It has become a tradition to open a new school year with the’ First Bell ‘ holiday. In the morning on the first of September the first and eleventh formers parade in front of the school the headmistress, teachers, pupils, parents greet the children and wish them success in studies.

Every year we celebrate the School-leavers Reunion Day. School leavers of different years come to our school and speak about their school years and share their life experience with us. Then the schoolchildren give a concert. It’s usually a very interesting and useful event.

Of course such parties as New Year, the 8th of March are celebrated with great amusement.

We also get acquainted with the traditions of English-speaking countries and celebrate such holidays as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, St Patrick’s Day and many others.

One of the most important traditions of our school is the Last Bell  holiday, when the 11th forms say good-bye to their school, thank their teachers, ask children to love their school, to keep carefully its traditions. Flowers, the words of greeting, love and respect are seen and heard in every corner of the school.

I’d like to say once again that school means a lot to me, and now my heart is full of gratitude to most of my teachers and to many of my friends who made my school life enjoyable.

Family traditions

Our family is very united. We don’t see eye to eye on some things but on the whole my parents are very understanding. We are a happy family. I can say that our family is well knit. We love and respect each other. I am proud of my family. We are happy when we are together.

I think traditions are what make a family unique, they draw people together and create a sense of belonging for everyone. Traditions don’t need to be expensive to have a lot of work. It can be something as simple as a lazy Saturday morning drinking coffee and chatting or an annual fondue dinner.

Our family has our own traditions. We celebrate holidays together, for example we celebrate our birthdays, New Year, Easter, Christmas. Before New Year we tidy up the flat, decorate the Christmas Tree, do the shopping, cook tasty dishes together. We give each other presents on birthdays and New Year.  Every summer we go to the lake or river together, where we rest, relax, and have fun. We like doing the sight together, going on excursions; I especially enjoy going shopping with my mum. We are happy when we are together.

 You know, my parents and I are usually very busy during the weekdays and we seldom have a chance to spend time together. Sunday is the day when we can sit at a table and talk over everything that has happened during the week. Eating together makes us feel close and we often have our most useful conversations at these times. Almost every weekend we visit our grandparents.

If you don’t currently have traditions in your family, create them! All traditions started with one person why not let your family traditions start with you? Get creative and have fun.

Family relationship

I believe that everything has its beginning in the family. In my opinion, a family is an emotional centre of a person’s life, transmitter of culture, traditions, moral values, and the place where children are raised. It is a place where you feel support and understanding, where you learn how to behave, communicate and interact with other people. My family means the world to me I would do everything for them.

I love my parents, because they take care of me, they are kind and sympathetic; they are always ready to help me.  I can’t live without their help and respect, and I know that they also need my attention. When I am discouraged, I come to my parents. I tell them my feelings and ask them to help me understand why I’m depressed. They understand and comfort me.

We are very close and we love each other very much. We would do everything for each other and that’s the way it should be. We get along with each other. Jokes are our habit, we often laugh and joking on various topics. A family is the people that always love you, support you and help you. For me it’s impossible to live without my family.

If there are some misunderstandings and problems you can discuss and solve them, because your parents are the closest people, they are always there for you. I think a person who has a strong family behind him is more secure and confident and can deal with life better.

Our family is very united. We don’t see eye to eye on some things but on the whole my parents are very understanding. We are a happy family. I can say that our family is well knit. We love and respect each other. I am proud of my family.

My family

In my opinion family is an emotional centre of a person’s life, transmitter of culture, the place where children are being raised. A family is the people that always love you, support you and help you. For me it’s impossible to live without my family.  My family is not large. I’ve got a mother, a step-dad and a sister Nastya.

And now let me begin my speech about my family. From the very start I’d like to describe my mum whose name is Olya. She is a middle-aged woman of 36. My mum has got beautiful blue eyes, which reflect her kind character, brown shoulder-length hair, lovely features. She amazes me by her attractiveness and charm. I should admit nature has gifted my mother with a blinding smile that makes her really beautiful. I should say that my mum is a nurse of medicines but she also does a good job of being mother. We are very close and we love each other very much. We would do everything for each other and that’s the way it should be.

My family history is very unusual and full of disappointment. But I propose to skip it, because now we a happy family and our life is full of joy, fun, pleasant moments.

I have a step-dad. His name is Sasha. He is a middle-ages man of 37, but he looks powerful and impressive. I find 

him attractive enough, because of his dark hair and unusual brown eyes with busy eyebrows. In addition to my previous worlds I’ll say that Sasha is an interesting and intelligent person. Furthermore, he is open-minded, careful and hardworking. Sasha is a trucker. We get along with each other. Jokes are our habit, we often laugh with each other and joking on various topics.

Next comes my little sister Nastya, my tiny and fragile piece of joy. I love her very much. She always elates me and keeps up spirits. She’s only 4, but despite this she hugs me, and feels sorry when something goes wrong. Almost every day we spend our time together playing different games or just watching cartoons.

In conclusion, I’d like to say that my family is me nest. It’s very important to have a strong and happy family. If there are some misunderstandings and problems you can discuss and solve them, because your parents are the closest people, they are always there for you. I think a person who has a strong family behind him is more secure and confident and can deal with life better

Weather and climate

From my point of view a person’s life depends to a certain on the weather and climate. The agriculture, the national cuisine, the clothes we wear, the types of houses we live in all these depend on the climate and weather. Moreover our mood often depends on the weather. If the weather is sunny and bright we feel happy and cheerful but if the weather is gloomy a lot of people feel depressed. Every day many people listen to weather forecasts to make up their minds on what clothes to wear and whether or not to take an umbrella with them.

Unfortunately there are also natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, droughts, floods, avalanches, storms that badly affect people’s lives.

The climate in Belarus is moderately continental. It means winters are fairly cold and summers are moderately hot. The annual average temperature is about 7 °C. The climate of Great Britain is moderate and mild due to the influence of the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. The weather in Britain is very changeable and the English even say they have no climate but only weather which has become a favorite topic of conversation.

As for me, winter is the best season. First of all, I really enjoy the crisp of snow outside. Together with my friends we always make a snowman, throw snowballs at each other and roll in the snow. Secondly, I’m quite good at such winter sports as skiing and skating. I love moments when all the stores and cafes outside start hanging festive decorations on doors and windows. And this New year’s vanity gives unusual mood. I really like it.

To sum it up, I’d like to say that climate is the weather a certain place has over a long period of time. Climate has a very important influence on plants, animals and humans and is different in different parts of the world. Some scientists think that the world is becoming hotter.

School

As we become older we realize that there are some essential things and places we always long to come back to. They are certainly our birthplace, our home and the school we went to. We will always be indebted to our teachers for the rest of our lives.

I went to one and the same school for eleven years. Our gymnasium is one of the leading in Grodno region for girls and boys from 6 to 17. As all pupils I go there five times a week. Our classes start at 8:30 a.m. and last till 3 p.m. So we usually have six lessons a day.

Our school looks nice and lovely. It’s a clean and attractive three-storied building. The school building itself is of a typical design with the same layout as you can see in many other schools in Belarus. When you enter the school you will see a large entrance hall, cloakrooms, there is a gym, a library, a wardrobe and straight is the canteen. Our school offers the best facilities for all students. There are classrooms for different subjects, such as English, History, Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Geography, Biology, Literature etc.

The teachers in our school are very skilled. They try to give us all their knowledge and awake our interest to their subjects and to self study. Besides the school subjects, our teachers tell us about everything, about different problems of our world.

Traditions in our school – it’s something that has existed for a long time. In our school, we have similar traditions as in Britain. We have such events as Teacher’s Day, Autumn Sports Week, School Olympiads, Women’s Day, Health Day, Reunion Day, The Day of knowledge, the Last bell, Graduation Day.

I’ll never forget my school, my favorite teachers and my classmates. It’s my childhood and it’s the happiest period in one’s life, to my mind. It’s a period of becoming adult, achieving knowledge, and choosing your way in life.