Holidays are really important. Many of us will have childhood memories of summer holidays where we were taken away from home to experience new environments and learn in different ways.

    But holidays are expensive and, for those on low wages or living on benefits, they are often unobtainable. Even the cheapest holidays require travel and other additional costs that are difficult for many families to meet.

    For working parents, the long summer break can be a very difficult problem for childcare. When an annual leave allowance amounts to only five weeks, there is a need to spread this across the year. Couples can find themselves taking leave in turn in order to care for children who are on holiday. For some ' this makes even an affordable family holiday difficult.

    The schools that I visit in Nottingham are full of experienced staff committed to giving our children a caring and inspiring learning environment. The number of children receiving free school meals is quite large in Nottingham and many schools have breakfast clubs to make sure that children get a healthy start to the day. Most schools undertake programs of group or individual educational support. Schools also have an important role in sofeguaiding children's welfare through the ongoing touch and support with their pupils. During the long summer holidays, much of this is missed.

    While teachers are holidaying in the UK, many of their pupils spend the whole six weeks on the street where they live. The lack of free school meals for six weeks can result in pressure on a family budget and an inability to afford the inspiring experiences that help children to continue their learning.

    In setting out its plans for a five-term year, Nottingham City Council (委员会)is seeking to reduce the summer holiday down lo four and a half weeks, with a more balanced five terms of roughly eight weeks, each followed by a two-week break. We believe this will give real “down time" for school staff and pupils alike but will be short enough not to cause a real break in learning.

    We acknowledge that this change may be difficult for some school staff, particularly whose own children are educated in other authorities. However, this must be weighed against the benefits for city children for whom we all have the greatest duty of care.

    While money can't technically buy happiness, it can buy you a mood-lifting, outlook-improving vacation. Haven't made plan yet to skip town this winter? These money-saving travel tips can help you book the destination of your choice and enjoy you time there—without breaking the bank.

    1).FLY THE COOP FAST

    If you're planning to set off for an adventure right away, try the GTFO(Get The Flight Out) app. It lists the cheapest round-trip flights departing from your local airport that day or by the next morning. At press time, airfare was down 12 percent from last August and round-trip tickets for domestic flights averaged $218.

    2).SNAG A DISCOUNTED HOTEL ROOM

    If Airbnb, an online service that provide apartment exchange, isn't your style, reserve marked-down accommodations on Tingo, which lists almost all the rooms in more than 155,000 locations worldwide. After you book a price drop room, the site monitors rates until, typically, 24 to 48 hours before check-in. If the price drops, Tingo refunds you the difference.

    3).LIVE IT UP LOCALLY

    If you're planning a staycation(宅度假) this winter, try an affordable escape close to home. The free app HotelTonight offers lodging(租住) deals in more than 100 U.S. and Canadian cities and regions, and has a location-based feature that gives extea saving on already discounted prices on spots closest to you. Same-day prices fall even lower after 6 P.M.

    What's on in Beijing

    Discover the best things to do in Beijing with our weekly introduction of art and exhibitions, music, performances and trending activities around town. To recommend an upcoming event or activity, please contact li-ping(@chinadaily.com.cn.

Jersey Boys

    Jersey Boys is a Broadway musical that dramatizes the rise and fall of Frankie Valli and the 1960s rock 'n' roll group Four Seasons.

    According to Selladoor Worldwide, the group's Beijing tour will see a brand-new production of the musical. Since its 2005 premiere in New York, the musical has won 57 major awards worldwide.

    2:30 pm to 7:30 pm, Jan. 5 to Jan. 13. Tianqiao Performing Arts Center, 9 Tianqiao Nandajie, Xicheng District. 400 - 635 - 3355.

Ticket: 199 - 1 299 yuan($ 30 - $ 200)

    London Philharmonic Orchestra set to thrill Beijing

    The London Philharmonic Orchestra will give two performances in Beijing on Jan. 5 and 6.

    Under Russian conductor Vasily Petrenko, the orchestra will perform pieces by H. Berlioz's and P. I. Tchaikovsky's.

    7:30 pm, Jan. 5-6. Concert Hall, National Center for the Performing Arts, 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng District. 010 - 6655 - 0000.

Ticket: 380 - 1 680 yuan

Works of Chinese master woodcarver

    A solo exhibition of Chinese woodcarving master Lu Guangzheng is underway at the National Museum. The exhibition is a showcase of traditional woodcarving techniques unique to the city of Dongyang, East China's Zhejiang Province.

    9 am - 5 pm (closed on Mondays), through Jan. 21. National Museum of China, 16 East Chang'an Avenue, Dongcheng District. 010 - 6511 - 6188.

Ticket: Free

Large-scale (大型的) immersive show

    The large-scale show Memory 5D +, directed by Ulan Xuerong, is ongoing in Beijing from Jan. 4 to 7. The show follows the emotional entanglement (纠结) between black and white spirits, representing yin and yang, and the flora girl.

7:30 pm, Jan. 5; 2:30 pm/7:30 pm, Jan. 6; 7:30 pm, Jan. 7. Beijing Exhibition Theater, 135 Xizhimenwai Dajie (Street), Xicheng District.

Ticket: 180 - 1 080 yuan

    There are a growing number of pet owners who feed their pets on raw foods, which means "uncooked" meat and bones. William Burk, a pet food specialist from the Food and Drug Administration(FDA), believes that feeding raw meat to pets is against its goal of protecting the public from health dangers, and that raw meat and bones do not have all the required nutrition that a pet needs every day.

    Recognizing how popular these foods are, the FDA has provided guidelines for producers of pet foods which contain uncooked meat for dogs, cats and other pets. The guidelines give rules to protect pet owners and pets from dangers about food safety and lack of nutrition.

    Pet owners who feed raw meat and bones to their pets should deal with these products very carefully to protect themselves against possible dangers, says Burk. Just as when you are preparing foods for human beings, use hot water and soap to wash your hands, containers, and surfaces that come into contact with the food. Don't put your hands near your mouth until you have washed them, and don't allow your pet to touch your face right after it has eaten raw meat.

    "If pet owners choose to feed bones to their pets, they should watch their pets carefully when they are eating bones," Burk says, "If a pet eats a big piece of bone that won't pass through its digestive system(消化系统), it is likely to kill the pet."

    Robert had just moved into the street and he felt strange that he was not wanted. He knew that perhaps the other boys were trying to get an idea of what kind of a boy he was. This did not help to make him less lonely. He was new and he had to be tested. Still, proving (证明) himself would not be all that easy. He did not want to run with bad boys or get into something against the law to prove that he was strong. No! He must show what he was made of in a more helpful way. That was when he got the idea.

The next day was Saturday. He knew that most of the boys would be down on the playground and choose up sides for the Saturday game. Robert knew he could play well and just might be enough to prove he was strong— and to make friends with them. He arrived early and did his step exercises. He shot the ball several times and did some other exercises—— the most difficult and most wonderful in basketball. Then the boys came. Robert went through what he had done before the game and showed what he could do.

    No one said a word. The boys just looked at each other and thought about it. In the end, when it was all over, the biggest of the group just smiled and shook his head. Robert knew he had made it.

Libraries

    Public libraries

    Most towns in Britain have a public library. A library usually has a large selection of books and other resources, which library members can use and borrow for free.

    Britain's First Public Library

    The first public library in Britain opened in Manchester in1852. It's first librarian was a man called Edward Edwards, Edwards attended the library's opening ceremony and two famous writers called Charles Dickens and William Thackeray were there too.

    How to Join a Library

    To join a library, go to your local library and fill in a form. You'll receive a library card which is needed when using library services.

    Mobile Libraries

    Not everyone can get a library. Some people live far away from towns and cities. Other people find it difficult to go out because they have an illness or a disability. Thanks to mobile libraries, these people can still borrow books.

    Unlike most libraries, which store books in buildings, mobile libraries usually keep their books in a mini-bus. The back of the mini-bus has shelves for the books, and it is big enough for borrowers to step inside and look around. A driver takes the mini-bus to a certain place at a certain time, so people know when to expect it. They can then return their books and borrow some more.

    All Aboard the Library!

    A school in London didn't have space for a library inside the building. However, everybody agreed that it was still important to have a school library. So the head of the school, Graham Blake decided to park an old bus on the school car park and changed it into a library. Pupils helped to paint the bus, and after eight months, the new library was ready.