Latest News at Studio Cambridge English Language School
Cartoon drawing
We have had some very good artists studying with us recently - here are some pictures of their work:
Studio School blog
To follow all the very latest news, please click here to go to the main school blog, detailing activities, parties, celebrations and general information. The link takes you to Studio Online, where registered students can also log in to explore information about Cambridge, and chat to their friends online.
Tom rows the Atlantic!
Our very own Tom Dignum is rowing the Atlantic in aid of Parkinson's UK (through his own charity Oar Raisers, please click here for more info). The 2600 mile adventure is in progress and they are doing very well, over half way there. To the right, Tom was busy showing off his boat to all the sponsors, including Studio Cambridge.
Check out the Studio Online gallery to have a good look at the boat that Tom and his friend Chris Howard are spending around 3 months in as they cross the ocean.
We wish Tom all the best luck with this amazing challenge!
FCE success!
Two of our students, Elias and 
Lorenz, who were studying with us last autumn have just passed their FCE exams, and wrote to us to thank us for our help. Here is what they had to say:
"Cambridge is an amazing town, where we met a lot of interesting people from all over the world. We enjoyed our stay very much.
During classes we could profit a lot for our FCE exam, most of all for the speaking part. We're sure that it's nowhere easier to practice your speaking skills than at Studio Cambridge. It worked! We are very grateful for your support in teaching us."
Visit to Turkey!
Studio Cambridge's Operations Director is visiting Turkey for the next two weeks! During his time in Turkey he will be visiting the Deniz Ati High School to present our school. The Deniz Ati High School is based in Istanbul and Studio Cambridge will be cooperating with this school in the future: http://www.denizati.net/
Russian competition winner to visit in June!
In conjunction with the British Council in Russia and the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper, Studio Cambridge offered a two-week course as a prize for the British Council Russia competition. The lucky winner, Olga Kalinina, will be coming to study English with us for two weeks. Here is her lovely, prize-winning essay:
All my dreams - in this small composition!
London fogs are so tempting and sweet!
My whole life is an English tradition,
And my day's an example of it!
"Earl Gray" tea starts my all sleepy mornings,
Yummy porridge gives strength for the day,
Dash of "Beatles" cuts off all the yawning
And at once makes me feel just OK!
Then I start e-mail checking, news reading,
Try to catch up with rapid news stream:
How is life in my favourite city
That is capital of my British dream?
Then I put on my jeans, fitting tightly,
My Brit style's always trendy and nice!
Sienna Miller, Kate Moss, Keira Knightley
Would say "Wow!" and ask for advice!
Leaving home I turn on favourite playlists,
Full of "Kooks", Lilly Allen and "Hives".
But to me, Alex Turner's the sweetest,
British rocker with sad hazel eyes!
Work routine never seems to me tiring,
Cause I always find time for a break,
"Five o'clock" sounds very inspiring -
It is high time for tea and a cake!
I prefer fish and chips for late dinner,
And a play by Shakespeare before sleep -
English food makes my body look thinner,
English books make my mind sharp and deep!
I'm in love with the Thames, and the Tower,
And Museum of Madame Tussauds!
Let me feel all the magic and power
Of my favourite place in the world!
Long-term student leaves school after 22 months!
One of our most long-term students has just left Studio Cambridge after a successful 22 months of study. Thamer began studying English at Studio Cambridge in April 2008, at beginner level (Level One). He left our Advanced class (Level 6) on Friday, after a celebratory slice of cake with his class and staff. We wish Thamer all the best with his future endeavours and are sure he will pop back to see us when he can!
Winter Snow in Cambridge!
Studio students have been enjoying the snow that Cambridge has received between Christmas and February. Here are some photos of students in the snow at our main school, as well as enjoying an excursion to Canterbury.
Winning photo from the recent Studio Photo Competition
Congratulations to Jonas Larsson from Sweden for his fantastic shot which he has called 'My Cambridge'. This was taken from King's College Bridge, looking out towards the River Cam.
Shiraume High School Ceremony
A group of Japanese students from Shiraume High School recently finished a two week study programme with us at Studio Cambridge. On their final day, they had a small farewell ceremony, where our Principal, Julia Midleton, handed out their certificates and reports. The students had the chance to have a little party afterwards, and also have photos taken with some of the staff.
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
Students dressed in green, wore funny hats and Shamrocks, sampled Irish whiskey and Guinness and celebrated the festival of Saint Patrick with the Student Services team. The prize for the best costume goes to Hayder, who as you can see from the photos painted himself completely in green paint! The 'Luck of the Irish' was with him though, as he managed to remove it all for lessons the next day...
February Curry Tasting
This month saw the return of a very different evening activity at Studio Cambridge. The Student Services team took a small group of students to sample some Indian cuisine at a local restaurant. It was a perfect opportunity to try some new flavours both mild and very spicy, and also practise their English in a relaxed environment. 'Prawn Pathia' (very hot curry with tomato and lentils) proved to be the most popular - good choice!
Shrove Tuesday Pancakes
Chef Michael from Cafe Studio kindly gave a demonstration of how to prepare, 'toss' (flip over in a pan) and serve pancakes, which the students then sampled for themselves. 'Shrove Tuesday' is a traditional festival where people use up all of the simple ingredients they have at home - milk, flour, eggs and fats (oil and butter) to make pancakes. These thin cakes are very quick to do, and are usually eaten with sugar and lemon, melted chocolate or a sweet syrup.
Ten Pin Bowling!
Congratulations to Yasu Hide who has set the new Studio bowling record with a very impressive 153 points! Will anybody score higher next time? Could it be you? Keep checking the social programme for future bowling sessions. You can also get discount rates in your free time with a Studio student card if you want to get some practice beforehand! Happy Birthday to Hyun Dong who celebrated his specal day with a surprise chocolate cake and a bar full of people singing 'Happy Birthday' at Nusha afterwards!
American Pool competition
Students took a 'break' and a 'rest' from studying to play a few games of American pool at a nearby snooker and pool hall. The final frame was between Mustafa and Chisato, who both played very well. As you can see from the picture, Mustafa looks very happy to have won the tournament, and Chisato looks very disappointed! Sorry Chisato...but well done Mustafa!
February pub night
Even though the weather is quite cold at the moment, this doesn't stop students from coming along to evening activities! The time it was the turn of the famous pub night, led by the student services team as always! 'The Prince Regent' was the location which has a lot of history, and lots of comfortable sofas to relax on while the students chatted and laughed in traditional British pub style.
Fun in the snow
The beginning of February brought with it a few centimetres of snow, which the students had the chance to see, and play in! As you can see from the pictures, snow always means 'snowball fights!'
Karaoke Night
Students from all around the world came along to Cafe Studio for one of the best karaoke parties that we have ever had! As you can see everybody had a great time, and joined in the fun, singing and dancing along to their favourite hits by artists such as Abba, Britney Spears and U2.
Ten-Pin Bowling
Students teamed up and competed against each other in the famous Studio bowling competition! Players of all abilities joined in, and even some who had never played before. A great afternoon was had by all, especially Rodrigo Zelmanowicz De Abreu from Brazil who had the top score of the day with 141. Congratulations Rodrigo, you truly are the King of the Pins!
T-Shirt Design
On a cold afternoon in January, students were able to design and colour a t-shirt which they could take home with them as a unique souvenir of their stay at Studio Cambridge. Some made them for family and friends, while others decided to keep for themselves and wear with pride, as you can see in the photos below!
Tea Party and Mince Pies
Some of the students took the opportunity to have a break after lessons one afternoon to relax and chat over a few mugs of hot tea and 'mince pies' (traditional Christmas cakes made with pastry and spiced fruit). What better way to spend a cold winter's afternoon?
Watercolour Painting
After visiting the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge which has a large collection of famous paintings by impressionists such as Monet and Renoir, Student Services decided to give the students an opportunity to try some watercolour painting for themselves. As you can see everybody had lots of fun, and produced some amazing masterpieces - we especially love Natalia Cataldi's painting which she has called - 'The Apples'.
Happy Halloween from Studio Cambridge!
The Student Services team and students dressed up in scary costumes and masks to celebrate the spookiest festival of the year. The evening included a karaoke disco, and traditional games such as pumpkin carving and 'bobbing for apples' (where you get very wet!)
Pumpkin Carving
In preparation for the Halloween party, students decided to carve scary looking faces into pumpkins to keep the evil spirits away from the school!
Keep checking back in the future for news and pictures of what's been happening at Studio
