My dear granny

I’d like to tell you about my granny Anna Ivanovna Smantser. She is well-known not only among her colleagues. She is still recognized by her former pupils and their parents whenever and wherever they meet her. I think her popularity is connected not only with a long period of work as a teacher of English at our school. She used to be active both in the lessons and out-of-school activities. My granny went on different trips and hikes, organized excursions to other towns of our country, for example Brest and Orsha. Anna Ivanovna took her pupils to various theatres in Minsk and in this way they acquired necessary knowledge about performances of Belarussian actors and actresses. What I like most is her singing. She seems to know hundreds of songs and sometimes changes the words of a song leaving the melody as it sounds. By the way nowadays she sings in a church choir on Sundays and is quite pleased with it. There is one more thing I’d like to tell you. My granny is very inventive. When I was little she used to compose different tales about cars, lorries and their adventures. Today her real hobby is flowers. She has got some kinds at home and keeps them on the windowsills. There are some in her little garden, too. They look so lovely in blossom. My granny is a great woman, so trustworthy, generous and supportive. I adore her. Yevgeny S., 11 Form Student

Photobirding

What exactly is photobirding? I am neither a photographer nor a birder. I just have a digital camera with a good zoom and live in an area where there are a lot of birds . I started using the birds as target practice for my new camera when suddenly it occurred to me that I could record the different birds in and around my house. I started taking my camera with me on my morning and evening walks and clicking at the many feathered creatures that call it home and shelter. The number of species are not important but suffice to say that it was far more than I expected and all clicked within a radius of 2-3 km from my house.

Ulyana S., 6 Form student

Great Travellers

The students of our gymnasia are great travellers. They like visiting both cultural and historicul places. I n October 8 Form students visited Brest.It is 430 km from Borisov. Brest is 1000. It has its own history and sights. Brest Fortress dates back to the 19th century. It is a symbol of Soviet resistance in World War II. Two major events are held annually in Brest fortress. They are Victory Day on May 9 and the reconstruction of the beginning of the war on June 22. They serve as remembrance of the tragedy that brought pain and suffering to almost every Belarusian family.

The entry of the fortress represents a huge star cut into a concrete block. The radio announcer informs about the invasion of the German army. As you walk up to the centre of the fortress you see "Thirst", a large monument depicting an injured soldier trying to get some water from the river. The monument reflects the bravery of the last remaining soldiers who defended the Fortress for many days without food or water.

The Courage monument stands 33.5m high and tells the story of the heroic defence of the fortress through a series of carvings. There is an eternal flame which is guarded by 4 teenagers from the Pioneers Corps. There is an Eternal Fire in front of the remnants of the former engineering department.

We also visited the museum of the Middle Age town Berestye.It was very interesting. We learnt how Belarusian people lived many centuries ago. The museum of the Railway Equipment was great.It has 170 exhibits of the railway transport from various periods of history. Some of them are used in filming. In 2009, the monument in honor of 1000th anniversary of the city was created in Brest. Its height is 15 meters. The crown of it is an angel's figure that is the guard of Brest. He has a cross and a shield. There are images of historical persons and images of a mother, a soldier and a cronicler.

Polina Sh., 8 Form student