A school with a long history...

The Vocational School of Agriculture Conde S. Bento is part of the old Monastery of São Bento - today a National Monument, founded in the tenth century and rebuilt in the century XVII.

The school is installed in the Monastery of Farm S Bento, in Santo Tirso, along the left bank of the river Ave

Founded in 1913, it has maintained since then the tradition of Agricultural Education, through protocol between the “Santa Casa da Misericordia” of Santo Tirso and the Ministry of Education.

In June 1913 the Vocational School of Agriculture Conde S. Bento was created

On 9 October 1915 the school was renamed Practical School of Agriculture Conde de S. Bento.

In the year 1992/93 the School was transformed into the current Vocational School of Agriculture Conde S. Bento - Public School.

Rúbem e Rafael

Why is our school different...

Our school is pretty much different from the other schools because it is a vocational school of agriculture (that´s the main difference) but there are many courses available like technical courses such as Environmental and Rural tourism, Technical Course of Environmental Management, Technical Course of Processing and Quality Control of Food, Technical Course of Catering Restaurant /Bar. One of the advantages of studying at a vocational school is that the students are more motivated because they are studying exactly what they want to do in the future. Outside the classroom Nature is present in every corner. There are Kiwi fields, vineyards, rose collections, a wood, two horses and many milk-cows. For these reasons we love our school! Why don't you come and visit us?

Pedro Jorge and Rui

A very delicious festivity...

In Portugal Christmas is a very important festivity because it is when the family is all reunited. Besides that Portugal has a very strong catholic tradition so Xmas has also an important religion meaning.

Christmas in Portugal has a curious aspect, because the traditional food is different in the northern and southern regions of the country.

In the northern regions people eat boiled codfish with boiled potatoes and cabbage or octopus. In the southern regions people eat turkey!
The Portuguese desserts are really delicious!!

We have “rabanadas”, similar a French toast ( a kind of slices of bread with eggs milk and sugar, this dessert is topped with cinnamon and yellow sugar) “pão-de-ló” ( a kind of sweet bread) “aletria” ( boiled vermicelli sweet with eggs and cinnamon) “sonhos” (pumpkin fritters) and the famous “King’s Cake” ( a wreath like fruit cake laced with crystallized fruits and pine nuts, there is a little present inside the cake and a broad bean, the one who finds the broad bean in one slice, must pay the next “king cake”.)

Besides that, in Portugal we decorate the streets and our homes with various colour lights, and like many people around the word we decorate our Xmas tree with colour lights and balls. And below the Xmas tree we put de CRÈCHE representing the nativity of infant Jesus, with Virgin Mary and St Joseph.

Emanuel

A special present...

In Portugal Christmas is a very important festivity. During Christmas almost every home has a crèche, and a Christmas tree. The streets of the biggest cities are all decorated with Christmas lights and giant cribs. It´s also a great commercial opportunity for the big shopping centres.
In many families is the only time of the year they see each other. In Portugal, Christmas is a very religious time but I´m unable to describe that part of Christmas because I´m atheist.
My Christmas is different every year(you see, if I do the same thing every year this festivity would become very boring). So this year I´m thinking about watching TV and talking with my grandpa and my uncle that are coming to visit me. I´m going to eat the traditional codfish. Ah, just by curiosity my Christmas tree this year will be a small araucaria heterofila. This year I would like to find in my Christmas sock a greenhouse with 2000 m2 ,fan heaters, ventilators, humidifiers, and a high tech watering system. I was thinking about asking Santa Claus a billion dollar airplane but maybe that would be a little too much…What do you think?

Luís

Just to wish you...

Feliz Natal

Luís

I´m writing this text on the train so forgive the errors, please.

Hi everybody!My name is Luis and I´m going to try to make a nice presentation text just like my teacher told me to. So let’s get started. I live somewhere in Porto ( I don´t know exactly where), I´m fifteen years old and I have a happy life (with a lots of happy meals. O yeah, I love to eat good food, especially beef! ).

. Although I live in Porto my school is about 30 kilometres from there so I have to take the bus or the train to go to school. In order to catch the train on time, I have to wake up at six o´clock.

Now I´m going to talk about the things that make my life a happy life. I like plants, especially orchids and rare plants. In fact, if it wasn´t for my plant mania I wouldn´t have come to a vocational agriculture school. I´m also a computer maniac.

Damn!, My train trip is ending now so I have to hurry up… My favourite series are “Doctor Who” and “Naruto”. I like the best of each kind of music (including classic, pop, rock, etc) except fado which is a terrible kind of Portuguese music , in my opinion.

And that´s all. The train has just arrived.

See you one of the next trips…

Pedro

Hello!!!!!
My name is Pedro. I’m sixteen years ol and, I live in Figueiró, a village in the north fo Portugal.

I am 1, 6 and I’ve got brown hair and green eyes.

I’m funny, friendly and talkative.

I live with my parents and in a small house. I’m a single child.

In my free times I like playing football, computer games and Psp.

I would like to be a technician in Agrarian Production, the course I am taking.

Pedro Jorge

Hi!
My name is Pedro. I´m 15 years old. I live in Portugal in a town called Paredes near Porto. I don´t like to live in Paredes , because it isn´t a beautiful town and all my friends are in Paços de Ferreira( other northern town).
In my free times I like playing computer and going out with my friends. I also like to go to my uncle´s house because he has four sons and his house is always a party. I like to help him with his cows. I have some fish.

My favourite bands are Queen and U2.I would like to see the next U2 concert, next year here in Portugal. My school is a vocational agricultural school in Santo Tirso, and I’m taking a different course- Agrarian Production.
I like my school very much because it is an unusual school and it is very very big. It has some animals like cows, snakes, birds etc…. We have a lot of practical lessons so we spend a lot of time in the open air

Stay in touch!

Rafael

Hello!
My name is Rafael and I’m 15 years old. I was born on the 14th February 1994. I live in Vila Nova de Maximinos, a small town in the north of Portugal.

I live with my parents and a younger brother. I am average height and thin.

I have got dark hair and brown eyes.

I am a calm person and I hate confusion! In my free times I like playing football and listening to music.

My favourite sport is triple jump. My favourite triple jumper is Nelson Évora. He was gold medal in Triple Jump at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and silver medal in the long jump.