South Lake - School of English

There is a silent contradiction running through Brazil—and perhaps it is one of the hardest to confront. It is often said that it is the people who change a country. But that is only half true. Those who truly have the power to transform a nation are the citizens who have had access to formal education—those who understand the law, who can interpret it, who have the intellectual tools to question it and, above all, to act.
And that is precisely where we stumble.
Because those who understand the rules should be the first to respect them. Those who know their rights should also set an example in fulfilling their duties. Yet, more often than not, we see the opposite: education, which should elevate behavior, is sometimes used to justify small transgressions, rationalize shortcuts, and soften mistakes.
Complaining about the government, corruption, and the country’s structural problems—this is easy, almost automatic. What is difficult is maintaining, in everyday life, a commitment to the basics. A society is not built only on grand speeches or occasional outrage; it is sustained by adherence to the minimum rules of coexistence.
Not parking in a space reserved for people with disabilities if you are not one. Not cutting in line. Not taking advantage where you shouldn’t. Not treating public space as an extension of your home—or worse, as if it belonged to no one.
It may seem like little. But it isn’t.
Because the failure is not only in large structures—it lies in the small gestures repeated every day, especially by those who should know better. And when the so-called “educated class” fails at this, it doesn’t just make a mistake: it legitimizes the mistake. It teaches, through silent example, that knowing the rule does not imply respecting it.
And so the country does not change.
Not for lack of laws, nor for lack of discourse, but because of a kind of everyday inconsistency—where those who could lead by example choose, consciously or not, to be part of the problem.
Changing a country requires more than awareness. It requires coherence.
And perhaps that is precisely what we still lack.

On this International Women’s Day, we celebrate the women who never stop becoming.

Women who understand that life is not a finished path, but a living journey — one that bends, surprises, teaches, and transforms.

Women who keep studying, questioning, observing the world with curious eyes and courageous hearts.

To the women who know that learning does not end with diplomas, titles, or years. It continues in every book opened, every mistake faced, every challenge embraced, every new beginning welcomed.

You are the women who refuse stagnation.
You grow even when the road is steep.
You bloom even when the season is uncertain.

Life has never promised ease, but you have discovered its deeper secret: that struggle can be meaningful, that change can be beautiful, and that growth is one of the greatest pleasures of being alive.

While others fear transformation, you walk toward it.
While others surrender to discouragement, you rise with renewed purpose.

You understand that wisdom is not a destination but a practice — a daily act of courage.

Today we honor the women who keep moving, learning, evolving.
The women who fall and stand again.
The women who turn curiosity into strength and perseverance into light.

May your minds remain restless,
your hearts brave,
and your spirit forever open to the endless adventure of becoming.

Happy International Women’s Day to the women who never stop learning, never stop growing, and never stop loving the beautiful challenge of life.

Happy New Year, my dear students!

May this new year open doors,
sentences, pages, and possibilities.
May your English grow braver, clearer,
and a little less afraid of grammar rules.

I wish you courage to aim higher,
to do better, to dream bigger—
and yes, I do hope you read more.
(Read more signs, more books, more subtitles…
and maybe fewer excuses 😉).

Remember: every word learnt is a step forward.
Every mistake is proof that you are trying.
And through every chapter of this journey,
I’ll be right beside you—
guiding, encouraging, sometimes insisting—
until you reach where you need to go.

Let’s turn the page together.
A new year, a new story,
and many words still waiting to be discovered.

Mothering Without Mine

Today, I hold both joy and sorrow in my heart.
I am a mother—
With all the wonder, chaos, and love that it brings.
And yet, behind each moment,
Lingers the quiet ache of missing mine.

She shaped the way I love,
The way I comfort,
The way I try to be strong when little eyes are watching.
Her voice still echoes in my choices,
Her lessons live in my hands,
Even though her arms no longer hold me.

I carry her with me—
In bedtime songs, in the way I laugh, or lose patience, or try again.
I am the mother I am
Because she was mine.

But today, as I mother my own son,
I miss being mothered.
And that’s a grief only a few truly understand.

So I honour her,
And I honour myself—
For holding both the love and the loss,
And still showing up,
Every single day.

Happy Mother's Day!

Assistir à minissérie "Adolescência" na Netflix é fundamental para os pais e professores, pois a produção aborda de forma contundente temas cruciais que afetam os jovens atualmente, como a influência de comunidades online misóginas, a radicalização e os perigos das redes sociais. A trama segue Jamie Miller, um adolescente de 13 anos acusado de assassinar uma colega de escola, e explora como discursos tóxicos em plataformas digitais podem moldar negativamente a mentalidade de jovens vulneráveis.

A série destaca a importância de os pais, compreenderem os desafios enfrentados por seus filhos no ambiente online, permitindo-lhes identificar sinais de comportamentos preocupantes e promover um diálogo aberto sobre saúde mental, relacionamentos e pressões sociais. Especialistas apontam que "Adolescência" oferece uma oportunidade valiosa para discussões familiares sobre esses assuntos, ajudando os pais a se aproximarem do universo dos adolescentes e a enfrentarem juntos as dificuldades dessa fase.

Além disso, a produção tem gerado debates significativos sobre bullying nas escolas, ressaltando a necessidade de educadores e responsáveis estarem atentos às influências negativas que podem afetar o desenvolvimento dos jovens. Assistir à série pode ser um passo importante para conscientizar-se sobre essas questões e buscar formas de apoiar e proteger os adolescentes em um mundo cada vez mais conectado e complexo.