Christmas Party – 💃Salsa and Sangria! Friday 20th

Posted on December 23, 2019 by Lexis | Byron Bay

We celebrated Christmas on Friday with a Salsa and Sangria party. Students were invited to bring a dish of their choice (preferably something from their home country) to be shared as lunch.

After eating, students were welcome to learn basic salsa moves with teacher Dani, starting with a warm-up!

Thanks to everyone who joined in… Such a great way to end the school year!!

Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE, and English plus Surfing and Yoga in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.

What’s on This Week – Activities Calendar! December 16th-20th

Posted on December 16, 2019 by Lexis | Byron Bay

PLEASE REMEMBER TO SIGN UP FOR THE WEEKLY ACTIVITIES AT RECEPTION!!!

Monday – 7:45am Early morning Yoga with Jimmy & Tuesday –5:45pm Afternoon Yoga with Brooklyn. This is a lovely way to start the week. If you can’t make yoga on Monday morning we now have another session on Tuesday! All you need is a towel and some water.

Monday – 2pm and Tuesday 11:30am Monday afternoon Coffee Club is new and will allow new starters to properly meet each other and any other students who come along. We usually play Jenga or Uno while enjoying tea, coffee, and a TimTam or two.
Remember this is a great way to practice your English!

Wednesday – Early Morning Meditation with Kristy. This is a guided half-hour meditation which starts at 8am in room 8. Anyone can join, just bring yourself.

Wednesday – Christmas Card Making in the student lounge. Need to send a Christmas card home or to a friend? Everyone loves a hand made card so come along and get creative. Downstairs in the student lounge. 11:30am and 2:00pm.

Thursday – Body Boarding at Main Beach! Never tried Body Boarding? Then this is the perfect time for you to do it. Meet at reception then walk down to the beach. All you need is a towel, water, and sunscreen. Boards are supplied by Let’s Go Surfing. 11:30am and 2:00pm

Friday – Christmas Party with Salsa and Sangria. Everyone is invited to join in the festive fun on the last day of school. We encourage people to bring a Christmas dish from their own country to share. We will eat, dance, then drink… Easy! 1pm in room 8.

Christmas Cookie Decorating 🍪 December 12th

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Lexis | Byron Bay

The festive spirit was alive and well at Lexis Byron Bay this morning when we did Christmas Cookie Decorating!

We had a Christmas playlist made on Spotify in the background playing while we decorated our cookies.

Ingredients used:

cookies/ biscuits
icing sugar
butter
water
cherries
sour worms
pretzels
desiccated coconut
sprinkles
smarties
chocolate buttons

Students were creative in what designs they made! Some examples were:

Christmas trees
stars
hearts
gingerbread men
snowmen
baubles
lights
Christmas wreaths
Christmas puddings
reindeers

It was a messy and yummy morning!

Hope you all enjoyed this fun activity and eating the creations afterwards 😋

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Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing and Yoga in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.

Byron Bay Carols by The Sea

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Lexis | Byron Bay

Byron Carols by the Sea

Date: Friday the 13th of December
Time: 6.30pm
Where: Apex Park, Byron Bay

The iconic Byron Carols by the Sea event is happening again with special guest Chang Po Ching (featured on “The Voice”), local schools, carols choir and more guest artists! Stop by the Byron Rotary Club’s sausage sizzle, and grab a spot on the grass as you watch the sun set over the Bay and sing some beloved carols!

Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing and Yoga in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.

Christmas Traditions: History of the Christmas Tree 🎄

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Lexis | Byron Bay

History of the Christmas Tree 🎄

Have you ever stopped to wonder why we do certain Christmas Traditions? Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter.

In the 18th century, it began to be illuminated by candles, which were ultimately replaced by Christmas lights.

Today, there is a wide variety of traditional ornaments, such as garlands, baubles, tinsel, and candy canes.

An angel or star might be placed at the top of the tree to represent the Angel Gabriel or the Star of Bethlehem, respectively, from the Nativity.

Modern Christmas trees have been related to the “tree of paradise” of medieval mystery plays that were given on 24 December, the commemoration and of Adam and Eve in various countries. In such plays, a tree decorated with apples (to represent the forbidden fruit) and wafers (to represent the Eucharist and redemption) was used as a setting for the play. Like the Christmas crib, the Paradise tree was later placed in homes. The apples were replaced by round objects such as shiny red balls.

When you’re in the office next at Lexis Byron Bay make sure to check out our own little Christmas Tree!

Information adapted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_tree

Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing and Yoga in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.

Christmas Traditions: History of Cookie Decorating 🎄🍪

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Lexis | Byron Bay

History of Cookie Decorating 🎄🍪

Have you ever stopped to wonder why we do certain Christmas Traditions? Did you know that Cookie decorating dates back to at least the 14th century in Switzerland? Springerle cookie molds were carved from wood and used to impress Biblical designs into cookies. One of the earliest recorded forms of cookie decorating is the springerle, and the oldest known springerle mold is housed at the Swiss national museum in Zurich, Switzerland.

The artistic element of cookie making also can be traced back to Medieval Germany.

Lebkuchen was crafted into fancy shapes and decorated with sugar. Lebkuchen is a traditional German baked Christmas cookie, somewhat resembling gingerbread.

220px-Motlle_crespellines

During the 17th century, Dutch and German settlers introduced cookie cutters, decorative molds, and festive holiday cookie decorations to the United States.

220px-Christmas_sugar_cookies,_January_2010.jpg

Today cookie decorating traditions continue in many places in the world and include such activities as cookie decorating parties, competitions, creating cookie bouquets and cookie gift baskets, and simply decorating cookies with others can be a fun activity.

Join us at Lexis Byron Bay this Thursday the 11th of December at 11.30am or 2pm for our own version of Christmas Cookie Decorating!

Make sure to sign up at reception!

Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing and Yoga in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.

Christmas in Byron Bay 🎄

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Lexis | Byron Bay

Christmas in Byron Bay can be hard for students to get their head around.

It’s been said around the campus “but it doesn’t feel like Christmas! It’s too hot!” or similarly “there’s no snow, and not many people have lights up!”

surfing-santa

For a few of the students from colder climates in the Northern Hemisphere the idea of no snow, or a hot Christmas is unheard of!

Much like everything else, Aussie’s just do Christmas differently.

For Christmas lunch or dinner many will have a traditional roast, though additionally the barbie will be fired up! Prawns are very popular to have in the Summer time. It’s also not uncommen to find the men around the BBQ, women in the kitchen getting everything else ready, and chilren playing under a sprinkler or swimming in a pool.

And for dessert we have pavlova with fruit on top. Sometimes in the shape of a Christmas Wreath. Christmas Pudding will still be feautured, though because it is Summer the fruits are a favoured choice.

Then in the afternoon if you’re not napping and sleeping off your Christmas lunch, you might play a game of beach/ backyard cricket! It might be children vs. adults, cousins vs. ‘the other’ cousins, or boys vs. girls. It’s all about having fun, being silly and not taking it all too seriously.

It can be an unusual adjustment, though Christmas in Australia can still be enjoyed! Spend time with friends, and create your own traditions. Swim at the beach, play cricket in the backyard, and revel in the fact that you’re in a t-shirt! Make memories that will last that can be shared back home and one day you can say “I had a Christmas at the beach one year!”