3rd meeting
Synopsis of the 3rd meeting in Zagreb, Croatia, May 2nd-6th 2011
Monday, May 2nd
The first day of the 3rd Comenius Multilateral School Partnership "Our TREASURES" was marked by the participants' arrivals. The first to arrive was the Greek group followed by Slovakia, Lithuania, Spain, Latvia, Bulgaria and Portugal. Upon the arrival all the teachers were taken to the hotel and students to their host families. In the evening, there was a short teachers' meeting at the hotel to discuss and arrange the details of the following day.
The first day of the 3rd Comenius Multilateral School Partnership "Our TREASURES" was marked by the participants' arrivals. The first to arrive was the Greek group followed by Slovakia, Lithuania, Spain, Latvia, Bulgaria and Portugal. Upon the arrival all the teachers were taken to the hotel and students to their host families. In the evening, there was a short teachers' meeting at the hotel to discuss and arrange the details of the following day.
Tuesday, May 3rd
At the beginning of the meeting's first working day all the participants were welcomed and given a warm reception at school by the school’s principal and the Project coordinator, Ms Boryna Boteva. We were all reminded of the Project's importance as "Our TREASURES", standing for "Our Talented and Responsible, Engaged and Active, Self-confident, Unique and Reliable European Students" keeps on broadening our students' awareness of their unique local and national heritage, their value in the modern world by developing their lifelong learning skills and creativity, developing team building as well as promoting European citizenship and international dimension of our schools. Accordingly, the following were presentations of the Theme 3: Effective Intercultural Communication. All our students' work and effort, either through researching intercultural communication within their own school, or by gathering information on other participating country, were presented very effectively, efficiently and dynamically.
The afternoon was reserved for lunch at “Vinodol” restaurant and for the Zagreb sightseeing through which the city's long and rich history was being told on the spot. Visiting and touring the old parts of town, Kaptol and Gradec gave an insight of Zagreb as it used to be, and coming back to the city's main square, the heart of town, completed the story of Zagreb.
At the beginning of the meeting's first working day all the participants were welcomed and given a warm reception at school by the school’s principal and the Project coordinator, Ms Boryna Boteva. We were all reminded of the Project's importance as "Our TREASURES", standing for "Our Talented and Responsible, Engaged and Active, Self-confident, Unique and Reliable European Students" keeps on broadening our students' awareness of their unique local and national heritage, their value in the modern world by developing their lifelong learning skills and creativity, developing team building as well as promoting European citizenship and international dimension of our schools. Accordingly, the following were presentations of the Theme 3: Effective Intercultural Communication. All our students' work and effort, either through researching intercultural communication within their own school, or by gathering information on other participating country, were presented very effectively, efficiently and dynamically.
The afternoon was reserved for lunch at “Vinodol” restaurant and for the Zagreb sightseeing through which the city's long and rich history was being told on the spot. Visiting and touring the old parts of town, Kaptol and Gradec gave an insight of Zagreb as it used to be, and coming back to the city's main square, the heart of town, completed the story of Zagreb.
Wednesday, May 4th
The meeting's second workday was reserved for Theme 4: Talents, Abilities, Creativity, Imagination and presentations of our students' talents, abilities, creativity, imagination and innovation. We witnessed a real show through a series of dance and singing performances. Moreover, presented were art classes showing our students enviable artistic talent as well as various sporting events as many of our students are gifted for sport. An interesting and fun surprise was prepared by Lithuania when its students, dressed in traditional costumes began to dance to the sounds of Lithuanian traditional folk music. Slowly, other students and teachers began to join the dance and pretty soon the atmosphere was very cheerful and relaxed making the ceremonial handing over certificates to all the participating students equally entertaining and interesting.
The end of the meeting's working part was scheduled to the teachers' meeting which marked the end of the first Project year and therefore summarized it by listing and highlighting all the accomplished:
- 3 Project meetings:
- 4 Project Theme lesson plans have been made and the Theme presented as following:
Theme 1: Major Community Problems – lesson plan made by Wales, the Theme presented in Portugal
Theme 2: The School of Our Dreams – lesson plan made by Bulgaria, the Theme presented in Portugal
- Participating schools made a choice of whether to present Theme 1 or 2 in Portugal
Theme 3: Effective Intercultural Communication – lesson plan made by Croatia, the Theme presented in Croatia
Theme 4: The Treasures Within Us – lesson plan made by Greece, the Theme presented in Croatia
- We made Tourist Guides of our cities which were presented in Portugal
- We worked on building our schools' Eco Audit through activities within each school
- Each country made its Survival Kit
- Greece created "Our TREASURES" website, Wales made our Wiki platform and Spain created our Picasa Album
- Each country summarized its number of teachers' and students' mobilities carried out during the first Project year
For the second Project year we have 4 Themes:
Theme 5: Education Versus Exclusion
Theme 6: Local Treasures Through Our Students’ Eyes
Theme 7: Universal Living Values
Theme 8: Our Schools – European Knowledge Centers
Our next meeting will take place in Swansea, Wales from October 10th – 14th 2011 and for this meeting we are to prepare the following:
We were also reminded that Theme 6: Local Treasures Through Our Students’ Eyes is to be prepared for the meeting in Spain and Theme 7: Universal Living Values and Theme 8: Our Schools – European Knowledge Centers are to be both prepared for the last meeting in Bratislava, and schools will choose which Theme they will present.
Wednesday afternoon was spent in “The Zagreb City Museum” where we continued exploring city’s rich history and the ways it has made Zagreb the capital of Croatia. In the evening, our farewell dinner was held at “Katedralis” restaurant when the teachers were handed over certificates of attendance.
The meeting's second workday was reserved for Theme 4: Talents, Abilities, Creativity, Imagination and presentations of our students' talents, abilities, creativity, imagination and innovation. We witnessed a real show through a series of dance and singing performances. Moreover, presented were art classes showing our students enviable artistic talent as well as various sporting events as many of our students are gifted for sport. An interesting and fun surprise was prepared by Lithuania when its students, dressed in traditional costumes began to dance to the sounds of Lithuanian traditional folk music. Slowly, other students and teachers began to join the dance and pretty soon the atmosphere was very cheerful and relaxed making the ceremonial handing over certificates to all the participating students equally entertaining and interesting.
The end of the meeting's working part was scheduled to the teachers' meeting which marked the end of the first Project year and therefore summarized it by listing and highlighting all the accomplished:
- 3 Project meetings:
- Targovishte, Bulgaria, October 17th – 21st 2010
- Vidigueira, Portugal, February 12th – 17th 2011
- Zagreb, Croatia, May 2nd – 6th 2011-05-07
- 4 Project Theme lesson plans have been made and the Theme presented as following:
Theme 1: Major Community Problems – lesson plan made by Wales, the Theme presented in Portugal
Theme 2: The School of Our Dreams – lesson plan made by Bulgaria, the Theme presented in Portugal
- Participating schools made a choice of whether to present Theme 1 or 2 in Portugal
Theme 3: Effective Intercultural Communication – lesson plan made by Croatia, the Theme presented in Croatia
Theme 4: The Treasures Within Us – lesson plan made by Greece, the Theme presented in Croatia
- We made Tourist Guides of our cities which were presented in Portugal
- We worked on building our schools' Eco Audit through activities within each school
- Each country made its Survival Kit
- Greece created "Our TREASURES" website, Wales made our Wiki platform and Spain created our Picasa Album
- Each country summarized its number of teachers' and students' mobilities carried out during the first Project year
For the second Project year we have 4 Themes:
Theme 5: Education Versus Exclusion
Theme 6: Local Treasures Through Our Students’ Eyes
Theme 7: Universal Living Values
Theme 8: Our Schools – European Knowledge Centers
Our next meeting will take place in Swansea, Wales from October 10th – 14th 2011 and for this meeting we are to prepare the following:
- Presentations of our school's Talent's Day
- Theme 5: Education Versus Exclusion
- Activities regarding the European Day of Languages
We were also reminded that Theme 6: Local Treasures Through Our Students’ Eyes is to be prepared for the meeting in Spain and Theme 7: Universal Living Values and Theme 8: Our Schools – European Knowledge Centers are to be both prepared for the last meeting in Bratislava, and schools will choose which Theme they will present.
Wednesday afternoon was spent in “The Zagreb City Museum” where we continued exploring city’s rich history and the ways it has made Zagreb the capital of Croatia. In the evening, our farewell dinner was held at “Katedralis” restaurant when the teachers were handed over certificates of attendance.
Thursday, May 5th
Thursday was an excursion day. Driving through the mountain area of Gorski Kotar and passing Kvarner Bay we arrived to Rovinj, a picturesque little old Istrian town. The day was spent in walking through the town's narrow stone cobbled streets, visiting the church of St. Euphemia and enjoying the magnificent view over the town from the top of the tower of the church, followed by a traditional Istrian lunch served in a local tavern.
Thursday was an excursion day. Driving through the mountain area of Gorski Kotar and passing Kvarner Bay we arrived to Rovinj, a picturesque little old Istrian town. The day was spent in walking through the town's narrow stone cobbled streets, visiting the church of St. Euphemia and enjoying the magnificent view over the town from the top of the tower of the church, followed by a traditional Istrian lunch served in a local tavern.
Friday, May 6th
Friday was the departure day when each country left Zagreb depending on the timetable.
Friday was the departure day when each country left Zagreb depending on the timetable.