SALAMANCA.

Salamanca is not a very big city in the north-west of Spain, about

200km from the capital Madrid. Salamanca was founded before the
III
rd
century. It has been declared a World Heritage Site by the
UNESCO in 1988 and was also designated European City of Culture
in 2002. Walking along its streets, you can find out the quantity of
architectural marvels the city has. Meeting the people there, the lively
and student atmosphere, the magnificient culture and the hospitality,
you will know how Salamanca is.




THE MONUMENTS.

In the city centre, near to the young atmosphere, there is the Main
Square: it is, surely, the most beautiful between the arcaded squares in
the world. It was built during the XVIII
th
century. It has, as a closer in
the north wall, the city council building.




Very close to the Main Square, you find the Casa de las Conchas, in
English, The shells house. Its considered as the most representative
monument of civil art from the Catholic Kingss age.



Down the street, there are the two Cathedrals:

- The old one was begun during the XII
th
and it was continued in the
next centuries. In the exterior, it has a Byzantine dome.



- The new one was begun in the dawn of the XVI
th
century; it was not
finish until 1733. The principal front is a compositive and ornamental
ostentation.




Another important monument is the Casa Lis. It is the Art Nouveau
and Art Deco Museum. It is the earliest modernist building of the city
and its iron galleries and stairs are opened as a waterfall onto the river
Tormes.




Returning to the city centre, you find the University. It is the oldest
University in Spain, inaugurated in the beginnings of the XIII
th
century.
The current building presents a very beautiful facade with the bust of
the Catholic Kings and the mythical Salamancas frog.




Other important artistic buildings are the Palace of Monterrey and the
Church of San Esteban.





IES MARTNEZ URIBARRI.

It is a public High School, located in the center of the city. There are
about 950 students and 80 teachers. The studies offered there, are:
E.S.O. (Compulsary Secondary School), Bachillerato and Vocational
training on Health, Nursery, Pharmacy and Dentistry, both Degrees
(Medium and High).





Since 2007/08 it offers a Bilingual Section in French and the possibility
of doing the examination to obtain the DELF and DALF
Diploma(Diplme d'tudes en langue franaise). During the last years,
we have been doing several exchanges with France (Castres),
Germany (Braunschweig) and we are going to do another one with the
United States (Connecticut). We have also taken part in another
Commenius project called Femina.
















Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58Umw9jjYlg

Speech

Salamanca is located in the north-west of Spain, about 200km from the
capital Madrid. It is not very big; it has just approximately 160.000
inhabitants. It is a wonderful city with a lively and student atmosphere
and we would like to remark some aspects:

1: Salamanca is very monumental and touristic. All its monuments,
even the new buildings in the center, are made of a stone which
contains iron and so have a characteristic golden color and this, gives
a strong personality to the town.

2: Salamanca is a vibrant university city. Every year more than 25000
students from all around the world choose Salamanca to learn and
practice Spanish. Therefore, lots of cultural and sporting activities are
offered during all the year: conferences, theatre, concerts, art
expositions...etc. A frog is the symbol of the university.

3Salamanca has a very important bullfighting tradition. Several
famous bullfighters are from its land.

4: Salamanca is also a modern and very commercial city with many
trendy shops. The shopping zone is located along the pedestrian
streets close to the Plaza Mayor and here, you can find everything
you need. There are also small traditional shops which sell souvenirs
and the typical handcraft of Salamanca, specially the boton charro
which is the symbol of the city.

Finally, Salamanca has an intense nightlife with lots of pubs, bars,
discotheques...So that, students confirm it is a good luck to study here!
It was the first town in Spain which decorated in an original way, each
pub, for example, there is a submarine, a port, a carrousel, a church...

And about our school, I will just say that it is located in the center of the
city and that it offers Compulsory an Upper Secondary studies and
Medium and High Vocational Training.


Let s see the video and lets discover Salamanca and our school!
SPANISH EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM



In Spain, education is compulsory for children from ages 6 to 16, but all
children can start their education at the age of 3 in Preschool.


PRESCHOOL: ages 3, 4, and 5

It is not compulsory,
Its aim is to contribute to the physical, emotional, social, and
intellectual development of boys and girls and to help them for the
transition into Primary School.


It includes primary and secondary education
It is compulsory from 6 to 16.
This education is free in Public and Charter schools and you have only
to pay for private schools.
(Javier)
The academic calendar tends to be the same for all schools: lessons
always begin in September and end in June. Vacation is in summer,
during the months of July and August.

The school year is divided into three trimesters and after each
trimester there is a break for vacation: Christmas time, Easter and
summer holidays. There are usually three evaluations that coincide
with each trimester.

The schedule tends to go from: 9 am until 13.30 pm in Primary school
and from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 pm in Secondary school.
There is always at least one break of half an hour in the morning to
rest or have a snack. This break is called recreo .


There are three cycles and in each cycle two academic years:
- First Cycle. Ages 6 to 8
- Second Cycle. Ages 8 to 10
- Third Cycle. Ages 10 to 12
An academic year can only be repeated once.

Its aim is, to provide basic cultural skills: oral expression and
comprehension, reading, writing and mathematics. It will also develop
social skills, work and study habits, artistic sense and creative and
emotional growth.

COMPULSORY SECONDARY EDUCATION (ESO): ages 12 to 16.

Its aim is to provide basic elements of culture, specially the humanistic,
artistic, scientific, and technological aspects.
Its aim is also to develop and consolidate study and work habits and
also to prepare the students for their subsequent studies.


This phase is divided into four academic years:
There are two cycles:
-First Cycle: 1
st
and 2
nd
.(ESO)
-Second Cycle: 3
rd
and 4
th
(ESO)

At 1
st
, 2
nd
and 3
rd
all the subjects are compulsory:

- Language, English, Mathematics, Social Sciences, Science of
Nature, Technology, Physical Education, Plastic and Visual Education,
Technology, Music, French, Religion or Alternatives Activities

At 4
th
you have two electives subjects more:

if you do not pass all subjects in June there is a new lease on
September. You can pass the course with two subjects (if those two
are not language and mathematics). Each year can only be repeated
twice.



If the compulsory education is not successfully completed, the student
can:


If students succeed, they receive the Certificate of Compulsory
Secondary Education Graduate. This certificate allows them to
continue with their studies either in Non-Compulsory Upper Secondary
Schools or in Vocational Training.



This phase prepares students to begin University studies or Senior
Level Vocational Training.
It consists of two academic years and various disciplines are offered,
with different general subjects and some of them specialized.


The disciplines are:
- Bachillerato in Humanities and Social Sciences
- Bachillerato in Science and Technology
- Bachillerato in the Arts



After Bachillerato you have two options: make a career college or
access to a higher vocational training .

To access to University you must pass a test called Selectividad
(selectivity). According to the note, you can choose a college career.



We have said that with the Certificate of Compulsory Secondary
School you can also go to Vocational Training, so
This phase prepares students to perform a specific job. There are two
levels: Intermediate Level Vocational Training and Senior Level
Vocational Training.


This training lasts for two years and has a period that includes
internships in companies.
There is a wide variety of courses providing good professional
opportunities.

Upon finishing these studies, students receive the Certificate of
Technician.
If you are 18 years or older, with this Certificate you can have an
entrance examination to enter Senior Level Vocational Training within
the same professional group.


The training lasts also for two academic years and includes a section
that includes internships in companies.

Students receive the Certificate of Senior Technician, a very
prestigious professional qualification.