Teacher Exchange 5 - Drogheda, IrelandThe fifth and final Teacher Exchange was held in St. Mary's Parish Primary School from April 24th - 30th, 2016. The visiting teachers were welcomed to the school with some traditional Irish dancing and then were treated to a performance of the show 'Legends of Louth - And Other stories'. As a school with many different nationalities students the acts for the show were introduced by students speaking Italian, Polish, Turkish and Spanish.
The teachers then visited all the classes who were involved in the project and learned about many different aspects of Irish culture: our writing, the Irish language, Irish dance, Irish games etc. All our visitors had a chance to try these for themselves. Later that day they were officially welcomed to Drogheda by the Lord Mayor who spoke to them of the importance of creating inks between our schools and our countries! |
In the following days the participants experienced many different aspects of Irish culture - from bodhrán playing to brown bread making, and travelled north and south of the border to visit many historical sites and discover the myths and legends associated with these places. They visited a number of Unesco World Heritage sites as well as local museums and castles.
On the Thursday they returned to the school to work on the final myths and share new ideas in the final Teachmeet. The final night saw a special presentation of Irish music and dance - a perfect way to finish the exchange! |
Teacher Exchange 4 - Soto de Real, Madrid, Spain.
The 4th Teacher Exchange saw educators from Italy, Turkey, Poland and Ireland travel to the town of Soto de Real near Madrid. A warm Spanish welcome awaited in Colegio Salesiano El Pilar. The visitors got to meet many students and work with them on the myths from the different countries.
The students shared their music and dance and even their food. A highlight of the trip was In the school cafeteria where students in traditional dress presented Spanish food and were on hand to explain the menu and offer tips for cooking!
The students shared their music and dance and even their food. A highlight of the trip was In the school cafeteria where students in traditional dress presented Spanish food and were on hand to explain the menu and offer tips for cooking!
During the week the participants travelled to the historical cities of Toledo and Segovia , where they saw the places which inspired some of the myths and legends that our Spanish partners had introduced to us.
The conclusion of the week was the festival of Don Bosco where the guests were invited to share in the celebrations in the school. The theme for 2016, Don Bosco at the Cinema, meant that there were many fancy dress costumes on show form the glamour of the Italian 20's to characters such as Harry Potter and Cruella de Ville! |
Teacher Exchange 3 - Ankara, Turkey
The third Teacher Exchange was held in Ankara, Turkey from Thursday Oct. 15th to Wednesday October 21st. And what a week it was!!
We began on Friday with a visit to our Turkish partner school in Eryaman . Following a traditional welcome the group visited various classes and were participated in several language and cultural activities. The students of the school then presented an amazing show relating to several Turkish legends. In the afternoon the group met to present and explain the 3rd myth selected by each country.
Saturday was spent on a cultural excursion to the Cappadocia region where various UNESCO heritage sites were visited.On the way we stopped off at a salt lake. Cappadocia itself was a geological wonder and an area of great history and stunning scenery.
On Sunday the group travelled to the museum of Ankara where there was a detailed tour focusing on the development of civilisation in the region.
Monday was devoted to a visit to the Black Sea town of Amasra and the historical town is Safronbolu.
Saturday was spent on a cultural excursion to the Cappadocia region where various UNESCO heritage sites were visited.On the way we stopped off at a salt lake. Cappadocia itself was a geological wonder and an area of great history and stunning scenery.
On Sunday the group travelled to the museum of Ankara where there was a detailed tour focusing on the development of civilisation in the region.
Monday was devoted to a visit to the Black Sea town of Amasra and the historical town is Safronbolu.
On the final day of the exchange the group visited ABC College, a private school in the suburbs of Ankara. Teachers visited classrooms and participated in a number of cultural activities including a cookery lesson on Asure, a traditional Turkish dessert. This was followed by a Teachmeet exchange. The theme of the exchange was technology which could be used by teachers and students to share/publish their work.
After various activities in the school the mayor of the region hosted a reception in the town hall. The exchange concluded with a dinner on the last evening and participants returned home on the 21st. Huge thanks to Sabriye and all the Turkish team for their incredible hospitality and planning in what was a a fantastic week. |
Teacher Exchange 2 - Brodnica, Poland
The second Erasmus+ exchange was held in Brodnica, Poland from April 24th - 30th 2015.
The exchange began with a cultural visit to Gdansk and a guided tour of the Solidarity Centre and the historic old town. The group also visited Sopot on the Baltic coast.
On Sunday the group had a presentation on Geocaching activities. The technology was fully explained by the head of Geocaching in Poland. This was then followed by a Geocaching expedition in the town where teachers and students from the school worked together to find local caches.
The exchange began with a cultural visit to Gdansk and a guided tour of the Solidarity Centre and the historic old town. The group also visited Sopot on the Baltic coast.
On Sunday the group had a presentation on Geocaching activities. The technology was fully explained by the head of Geocaching in Poland. This was then followed by a Geocaching expedition in the town where teachers and students from the school worked together to find local caches.
On Monday the participants visited the school. Students performed a fantastic variety show which drew on the musical and cultural traditions of all the partner schools. The project coordinator presented prizes to winners in the project mascot and logo competitions. The teachers then visited classes in the school. Then it was the teachers chance to share and one of the Irish teachers introduced the students to the Irish sport of hurling.
In the afternoon each country presented their second legend. The work was prepared in the form of a podcast. In the evening the teachers from the host school presented a drama relating to a local legend. That night two activities had been organised: a spectacular fire show by a local youth dance group and a night geocaching event with teachers, parents and students from the school.
In the afternoon each country presented their second legend. The work was prepared in the form of a podcast. In the evening the teachers from the host school presented a drama relating to a local legend. That night two activities had been organised: a spectacular fire show by a local youth dance group and a night geocaching event with teachers, parents and students from the school.
On Tuesday the group explored the town of Brodnica with a guided tour of various historical sites. This was followed by a meeting with the mayor of the town The Erasmus+ group presented the mayor with gifts representing the project and the visiting countries.
The final day of the exchange was spent in the city of Torún where the teachers became experts at making gingerbread! Huge thanks to the Polish coordinator and the staff of the school for their hospitality and organising a very educational trip.
The final day of the exchange was spent in the city of Torún where the teachers became experts at making gingerbread! Huge thanks to the Polish coordinator and the staff of the school for their hospitality and organising a very educational trip.
Teacher Exchange - Stigliano, Italy.
In February we had our first project exchange in Italy. The partner schools travelled to Stigliano in the Basilicata region where we were warmly welcomed by our Italian hosts. Over the course of the week we visited schools in Stigliano, Aviano and Gorgolione, presented our myths and legends, exchanged ideas at a Teachmeet, selected our mascot/logo and experienced the rich cultural heritage of the region and its people. As a bonus we were there for the annual Carnevale celebrations. Watch the video below to see the highlights of our trip.
Project Logo and Mascot ChosenThe colours and emblems of all partner countries were on display at the first Erasmus exchange for our project. As part of this exchange the representatives of all partner schools brought with them the shortlisted finalists in both the mascot and logo competitions.
First up was the selection of a project mascot. Here the creative talents of our students were on show with a wide variety of shapes, materials and bright colours and designs. In the end the winner was chosen from the Italian school. Students from Maestra Luciana's class created a wonderful doll dressed in clothes made from all the flags of the partner countries as well as a European hat and boots. She was named 'PITSI' with the name coming from the first letter in each of the partner countries. It was decided to dedicate a special page to Pitsi's travels and she he will go to all the partner schools and report on her experiences. Check out her blog here. The next challenge to the teachers was to select a project logo. The standard of entries for this competition was very high and picking the winner proved very difficult. Eventually however the votes were cast and the winning logo was chosen from the Turkish school. The entry featured a mythical version of Pegasus with the flags of the partner countries on its wings. The flying horse represents power, strength, bravery, heroism and friendship, and courage. In the logo the 5 countries come together and maintain friendship through the myths and legends of Europe. The crest will now be used on all project documents and as the logo on this very website! Take a look at our gallery page to see all the shortlisted entries. Well done to all winners thanks to all those who took part in the competition |