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
IIIrd 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 XVIIIth 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 XIIth 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 XVIth 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 XIIIth
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.

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

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.

Presentation of our town and our school.

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

SPANISH EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

https://prezi.com/ggvovm4mdkn1/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.
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: 1st and 2nd.(ESO)
-Second Cycle: 3rd and 4th (ESO)
At 1st, 2nd and 3rd 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 4th 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.