“Little by little, one travels far” by Tomas Aleknavičius

“The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

“The road goes ever on and on” said Bilbo to Gandalf. “Now far ahead the road has gone”gandalf-coin sang Frodo to himself while wandering about the Shire. These words delicately describe the fragile wanting of every hobbit to explore, experience and discover. Yet, that wish remains contained. Mostly, by the greenhouse like conditions of the Shire. Only a handful dared to step further than any hobbit before and… a little bit further.
How could such a world, were the small and courageous triumph over the big and greedy, not inspire entire generations? The evil powers of Tolkien’s world desire power above all other things. They seek to destroy and enslave all other things to get it. And the faith of the world is put into the hands of a couple of hobbits, no taller than a human child. Why? Because they were afraid. Because they were not strong enough. Because they had no powers, no great weapons. Because they dared to take that one little step further. Their journey was long. Their road went far. So far, down from the door where it began…
The Fellowship of the Ring breaks apart at Amon Hen, where they stopped to rest, before completing one and beginning the second, even more perilous part of their journey.. The terrible power of the Ring corrupts one of its members, and the rest are attacked by orcs. From here on Frodo and Sam continue on alone. Two hobbits on a suicide mission in to the heart of Mordor. Two hobbits against a million of orcs. Poor orcs…
But before that they have to pass the ever tricky mountains of Emyn Muil. Long story short – they make it! Straight into the Dead Marshes. Not a lovely place. Not because it’s dead, mostly because it’s marsh-land. Tiresome, dangerous and treacherous to cross. But it serves its purpose and safely leads the brave hobbits to the Black Gates. Here, however, they change their minds and decide to enter Mordor through a “back door”, so to speak. Here I will stop, so not to spoil any more important details, for possible future readers.
As you can guess, it’s not a Sunday afternoon kind of a hike, these two hobbits set out for. They knew that from the day they decided to take it. But did they fully understand it? I doubt it. That is why their determination amazes readers all over the world so much. As most heroes of epic stories they experience one dangerous situation after the other. They lose everything along the way. At one point they even lose hope. Only to regain it with their very last breath of strength.
I only chose this little part, this one line of the entire plot, to share with you one of the most important lessons Tolkien is trying to teach us. “I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay, small acts of kindness and love. – Gandalf “.

Ordinary courage. Simple people. Greatness in a sunset over the sea, not in the glimmering of a thousand swords. To the people of Middle-Earth this lesson associates with the bravery of hobbits. With that first step Bilbo Baggins took, that was followed by Froddo, out into the world, following the call of an adventure burning deep inside their hearts.

Listen to your heart. Where is it calling you to?GandalfWriting




Facebook by Živilė Pstygaitė

FACEBOOK Facebook too. Check it out!

 Waste of your time!
One of the biggest Facebook disadvantages is that it is addictive or can become addictive easily. Once you get connected with your Facebook friends you will realize how frequently you open Facebook and also spend so much time in commenting, viewing pictures of others , playing games or doing other stuff. Many people know drawbacks of using Facebook but can’t stop using it. Many people use Facebook day and night without thinking how much time they have wasted on it, and that they could have done more important work during that time

You can’t keep things personal!
You obviously do not want your personal information exposed to every friend of yours or even to public. On Facebook your personal life updates come to the notice of all your friends and others, and so your privacy is compromised. By the way, any text you put into the status update box is sent to Facebook’s servers, even if you don’t click the post button!

 Account Intrusion

It is no surprise that Facebook is vulnerable to attacks, and several hackers actively alter people’s profile information, on daily basis. There are hundreds of examples of this. Many Facebook and ex-Facebook users can tell you that they noticed change in their profile information while they were not logged in.

Also, there are some things like scams, ability to ruin your life because of Facebook… These were the disadvantages of using Facebook. So what are you thinking now, will you still use Facebook???




Be a volunteer!

1. Volunteering connects you to others
One of the better-known benefits of volunteering is the impact on the community. Unpaid volunteers are often the glue that holds a community together. Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place. Even helping out with the smallest tasks could make a real difference to lives of people, animals, and organizations in need.
2. Volunteering helps you make new friends and contacts. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people. Volunteering also strengthens your ties to the community, exposing you to people with common interests, neighborhood resources, and fun and fulfilling activities.
3. Volunteering increases self-confidence
You are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of achievement. Your role as volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity

4. It could be your hobby
A lot of students are bored because they do not have a hobby. The every day routine make them feel depressed and unhappy. Volunteering is a very good choice in this situation, because there you can help somebody and have fun at the same time.
5. Volunteering can provide career experience
Volunteering offers you the chance to try out a new career without making a long-term commitment. It is also a great way to gain experience in a new field. In some fields, you can volunteer directly at an organization that does the kind of work you’re interested in. For example, if you’re interested in nursing, you could volunteer at a hospital or a nursing home. Your volunteer work might also expose you to professional organizations or internships that could be of benefit to your career.




The value of volunteering by Mažena Germanovič

Is volunteering about money? Should we measure it that way? Most people would say no. Volunteering is not about money. Volunteering is about giving, contributing, and helping other individuals and the community. It is working with others to make a meaningful change in the world.
People volunteer for an endless variety of reasons. Many people want to gain experience, acquire new skills, meet new people, or expand their network of contacts as a way to get a new job or start a career. Others just want to help and contribute to create a vibrant society – dynamic, engaged and self-reliant. They do it because it makes them feel good. It is the feeling of satisfaction that keeps volunteers going. Most people think volunteering is just about organizing hundreds or thousands of volunteers for large events but that is not quite true. It is spontaneous acts of kindness like helping a neighbor shovel their walk, giving aid to seniors, or helping an elderly person cross a busy street. It’s the little things we do that make the biggest difference in this world.
Furthermore, I’m also a volunteer and I’ve been volunteering for almost 10 years at the day care center for disabled people in my town (or The Day Care Center for Disabled People?). You may think “wow helping for so many years and getting nothing in return, not even a single penny”. Well, helping and giving is something I always loved to do and seeing their faces light up when you help them or simply talk to them is incredible. Every time when I make a disabled person laugh or smile makes my heart melt and that is when I realized I want to help them see this world not as a dull and miserable place to live but make them feel like they are apart of our community and they deserve to be respected as everyone else. It is an unpaid work that makes you feel satisfied of making someone a little more happy. Giving money for volunteers just undermines the true value of volunteerism. Like the term “mandatory volunteerism”, it misrepresents the meaning and spirit of volunteering. Our society needs motivated, not mandatory volunteers because volunteering is all about helping, not hiring, giving, not taking.

The value of volunteering is much deeper, much more fulfilling and much more important in contributing to a healthy and vibrant community than money can ever measure.




The Book vs. The Film by Gytė Batūraitė

Which is better – the book or the film – is a question that makes both book and film critics angry, because there is no definite answer for this. It is a well known fact that people are divided into two types: the ones, who believe that no film will ever be better than the original book, and the ones, who believe that watching films is more beneficial than reading a book.

However, there are a few of pros and cons for both books and films.


First of all, while reading a book you cannot communicate with people as much as you could while watching a film – you need to concentrate and be in a quiet environment, so that nothing would distract you. Reading, no matter how thick the books is, consumes a lot of time. However, even if the book is thick, that means that there will be more details revealed, the plot will be fully developed and explained. Nevertheless, reading makes you use your imagination, so you can interpret the actions of the character, to visualize how the character looks and understand the whole plot of the story better. And the most important thing – you can read them anywhere.
Nowadays the film industry is taking a big part of our lives, especially when there are so many films that we can watch on television. Films most of the time consume less than 2hours, so it seems more convenient than reading a book. Also, you can do it while doing other things, like drawing, doing homework or something else, and still you would not miss too much of a plot. Moreover, the film gives you the visual appeal, so you know how the character looks, where and on what conditions the action is happening. However, it has a few disadvantages. The heroes can be quite different than you imagined them to be in the original book. Nevertheless, you cannot get into the character itself – you are just an observer, and you do not feel the emotions of the character.

Furthermore, if you want to watch a film you need electricity or the device you are watching a film on (phone, laptop, etc.) to be charged.


To sum up, both watching films and reading books are an interesting way to spend your free time, all you have to do is to choose either one of them.




Weird Christmas traditions by Laura Stulginskaitė

Caganer (‘Crapper’)

Christmas is celebrated all around the world and every country has its unique traditions. Some of them are very sweet, but others will make you ask yourself: ‘Why?’. Here are some of the weirdest Christmas traditions from around the globe.

Japan. KFC feast
Thanks to a lack of turkeys and smart marketing, a KFC bucket with fried chicken is the main dish at Christmas in many Japanese homes.

Spain, Catalonia. Caganer (‘Crapper’)
Statuettes of well-known people defecating are a Christmas tradition in Catalonia, dating back to the 18th century. The figures symbolize fertilization, hope and prosperity for the coming year. Statuettes can be of regular people or famous celebrities and politicians.

Krampus

Iceland. The Yule Cat
One famous Icelandic Christmas character is the Yule Cat who eats children who haven’t worked hard enough. So, if you have finished all your work before Christmas you are safe. The Yule cat only looks for the lazy ones in old clothes.

Austria. Krampus
Krampus, the terrifying companion of St. Nicholas and one of Austria’s unique Advent traditions. He looks to punish children who have misbehaved this year.

Befana

Norway. Hide the brooms
In the past, people believed witches came out on Christmas Eve to look for brooms to ride on so they hid them. Today Norwegian women still hide all brooms in their house before going to bed on Christmas Eve.

Italy: The good witch
In Italy, instead of Santa Claus, children are waiting for Befana – a kindly witch that hands out presents at Christmas.




Make your home smell like Christmas By Ineta Januševskaja ir Viltė Baronaitė LEU

Christmas‘ trees in every store, sparkling decorations, the excitement, presents, ribbons… YES! It is obvious that Christmas is just around the corner!! We tend to stress a lot during this exciting period of time. “Do not know what to buy for sister or brother“ , “do not know how to surprise parents or neighbors“. Honestly, every one of us has felt this way more or less. Just to help you out we would like to give you some ideas about Christmas decorations and gifts so you would not let the stress to take over your Christmas spirit. 😯

Elegant Christmas tree. Would you like to have an elegant designer Christmas tree this year but do not know how to get aprofessional look? There are many tips and tricks interior designers use to get a magazine quality decorated Christmas tree.

Christmas table decoration ideas. Since it is the most wonderful time of the year, don’t you want your home to reflect some holiday cheer? Winter is creeping up on us and before we know it, the holiday season is going to be in full swing. All you really have to do is follow an even red, white and green color distribution to establish a holiday feel.

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Room decorations. Christmas is traditionally a family holiday and many people prefer to decorate their rooms. It does not matter if it teenagers room, living room or just parents room. Simple decorations can change a whole room and make it even more festive!

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Outdoor decorations. When you are finished with the inside decorations you are OFFICIALLY…. Wait a second.. What about the outside? You can not forget to decorate it! Outdoor Christmas decorations will help you create a memorable open- air experience and greet your guests in festive style.

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DIY (do it yourself) gifts. Well, now you are officially ready for Christmas!! The only thing that is left for you is… PRESENTS. We are all used to spending lots of money to make our relatives and friends happy. But is it really all just about the money? Christmas is about appreciation, love, understanding and giving,BUT it does not have to be materialistic. Presents can be easily made of simple things you already have at home. Take a look at these examples.

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So, now you can say that you are a true Christmas expert. You have learnt about the inside and outside decorations of the house, moreover, inexpensive presents that can be done without any stress and in no time. Enjoy your festive holiday and MERRY CHRISTMAS!




Christmas Time. By Jogailė Čojūtė

Christmas is celebrated on 25th of December. Before that, we have a yummy Christmas Eve dinner – the 24th. This is a favorite holiday for everyone, for me as well.

Why I wait for Christmas, is because it’s celebrated to remember the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe is the Son of God. It is also the holiday when our whole family and relatives gather to enjoy “the big dinner” and peace. I have to mention, that decorating the Christmas tree, hanging lights and ornaments while listening to some classic Christmas songs is the most fun part of getting ready for it…! And let’s not forget the presents, but the biggest present of all, is the mood around us. 
Even if the time we celebrate Christmas is the darkest for our eyes, after it, animals and the nature wake up – it becomes lighter and lighter and brighter and brighter and I understand, that it shows, that no matter where you are, or what the time is – there is always hope.
What is your most favorite holiday? And if it’s Christmas, share below what you feel about it :)!
Psssst, and what is on your wish list?
Or maybe you’re on the naughty list?



Ten tips for Christmas gifts your friends and family will love:) by Barbora Turauskaitė

1

Fluffy present

Fluffy present. Take a plain pillow, simply wrapping it like a present. (Yes, it’s that simple.)

Paint-Dipped Kitchen Utensils

Paint-Dipped Kitchen Utensils
Perfect gift for mum or friend who like cooking . Bonus point if you match kitchen’s colors !

Gift Wrap Caddy
Have a crafty friend? This handy kit contains everything they need to elegantly wrap a present.

Charming Bookmarks

Charming Bookmarks

Charming Bookmarks

Gift Wrap Caddy

Gift Wrap Caddy

If your friend likes reading this gift matches for him perfectly. Just use your imagination!

Witty Gloves

Witty Gloves
Have a friend or family member who is always cold? (Come on, there’s one in every group!) Help keep them warm by giving them these easy-to-make, colorful gloves.

Season’s Greetings
A pop-up card is always cause for smiles, especially when it’s as pretty as this snowy woodland scene.

6

Season’s Greetings

8

The Perfect Winter Mix

7

Christmas in a Jar

The Perfect Winter Mix
use your imagination and invite perfect mix! The process of making this is very easy , just put all ingredients into jar and decorate it 😉

Christmas in a Jar
These jars —filled with quintessential Christmas scents, like rosemary, cranberry, and mulling spices—are the perfect gift for your friend that wishes Christmas lasted all year.

Cookie dough gift idea
Looking for a last minute gift for fiend ? This cookie dough gift idea is perfect! Tip: I think your mum or granny know a lot of delicious recipes 🙄

9

Cookie dough gift idea

Homemade jam
Your sweet tooth friend will love this! Use oranges, cinnamon, cloves and compose Christmas taste

Homemade jam

Homemade jam




Project Writing An Announcement

Our 5th graders had a project task: “Writing an Announcement”, here are some of the works, enjoy 😉

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