Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
From Poland to Barcelona
In October 2011 our Primary School no. 2 in Mszana Dolna invited our friends from Catalonia, Hungary and Italy to Mszana Dolna in Poland. In April 2012 we were invited to Spain. Hungarian, Italian, Polish teachers and Polish students came to Barcelona for 5 days. There was also our mayor with us, who helped us to communicate in Spanish and met the mayor of Les Corts district of Barcelona.
Our adventure in Catalonia and Barcelona started on Sunday in the airport of Katowice Pyrzowice . The plane flight from Poland to Barcelona went on during the beautiful weather so our students had the chance to watch amazing steep mountain slopes of the Alps covered with snow. Later we admired the picturesque seacoast of the Mediterranean sea. We reached our hotel in the Barcelona centre without any problems, using convenient couches and buses. Then we were warmly welcome by Catalonian teachers and parents. Our Polish students stayed at homes of some Catalonian parents for 5 days. This way our children had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with same customs, traditions and the way of life of Catalonian people and to practice English language in action.
The whole 5 days of our stay in Catalonian capital Barcelona were full of sensations and we were very excited. Catalonian teachers organized our stay there very intensely and attractively. During our stay in Barcelona we had some meetings with Catalonian, Hungarian and Italian teachers and also with Catalonian parents. We took part in some arts, music and English lessons. We watched some traditional folk dances, drums parades and culture shows at school, and attended the show called “human tower”. The other day we went for a long walk among St. Jordi stalls in Rambla Catalunya and we tasted traditional Catalonian food like “Paella” with “frutti di mare”. We also visited 2000 year old “old town” of Barcelona together with its Gothic Quarter and the old cathedral – Santa Maria del Mar.
The tradition of Comenius programme and meetings is planting “trees of friendship”, so our children together with Catalonian children planted the tree on the school playground. We also took a walk around the great harbor and port of Barcelona. Another day we walked along the “modernism route” created by unforgettable Gaudi- his masterpieces we will always remember. So we visited Casa Batllo and Casa Atmeller La Pedrera and also admired Sagrada Familia and Guell Park together with the panorama of the whole Barcelona from the top of Guell Park. We were the visitors in one of the best state secondary schools in Ses Corts district and we were invited to the Town Hall by the mayor of Les Corts district. The mayor had a very cordial and touching meeting with us, with our mayor and with our Polish students. Then he handed in some souvenirs to the Italian, Hungarian and Polish head teachers.
On Friday, full of positive sensations but sad because we had to leave our Catalonian and Comenius friends, we came back to Poland by Wizzair plane. We were talking all the time, remembering the wonderful time in Barcelona, all friendly people and fantastic atmosphere. Soon we were landing in our country and Poland gave us a warm welcome with beautiful and sunny weather.
Jerzy Karczewski
Teacher of English
Friday, May 11, 2012
Barcelona's experience
The Comenius trip in Barcelona began on 23rd April in the morning. We were so excited when Celia and Mari, our Catalan friends, came to our hotel to take us and the Polish partners to go to Lavinia School. That was a special day for our catalan friends: Saint George's day, the patron of Barcelona and everything commemorated this Saint. First there was a rehersal made by the pupils about the legend of St. George killing the dragon to save the Princess, then we had a breakfast with some special cakes for St. George's day and finally we went to the Rambla Catalunya where there were stalls selling roses (symbol of St. George) and books about St. George. This celebration, in Catalunya, replaces St. Valentine's day and boys give roses to the girls.
After lunch in the school canteen we went to visit the Town Hall of Les Corts, the district where Lavinia school is situated.
The building was ancient and magnificent and the mayor of Les Corts, who is also the Deputy Mayor of Barcelona, welcomed us and was very kind and warm with us. After a break in a Liberty Style cafeteria, we came back to school to watch some typical catalan dances and the show with the human tower.
On Tuesday we had the tour of Barcelona: we saw the Sagrada Familia, the Pedrera and Casa Batllò by Gaudì and we walked Passeig De Gratia, a residential and elegant route. At least we visited the stunning Parc Guell designed by Gaudì.
On Wednesday we went to school to take part in some English and Music lessons, then we visited a High School located in an ancient hospital nearby and we went to see the stadium of Barcelona. In the afternoon we visited the ancient gothic district with the help of a guide and finally we had “tapas” in a typical restaurant in the city centre.
On Thursday it was sunny, we visited the kindergarten school and we had the Comenius meeting.
After in the morning we walked on “la Rambla”, we visited a typical market of fresh food and we reached the harbour, then Barceloneta, the beech of Barcelona. There we had a good lunch and enjoyed it very much. What a pity!!! our trip was finishing, we had to come back to the hotel to get ready for the last party.
In the evening we had appointment at school to see a show of typical catalan dances and fireworks.
Then the dinner in a beautiful restaurant in Plaza de Espana. We were happy to be there together and to have met special people, such “friends”, but we were also sad to leave and finish this Comenius meeting.
I have no words to say how I was touched. I can only thank my Comenius friends that have given me the opportunity to know and enter the culture and history of their countries, to exchange work experiences and mainly to love them, to appreciate all they did for us and make me feel part of an important, special, unique project. I think the goal of union by UE has been reached: we weren't Italians, Catalans, Hungarians and Polish but we were European citizens speaking, well or not, English.
Thank you
Rosy
from Istituto Comprensivo di Vietri di Potenza
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Bon dia, Barcelona
Bon dia, barcelona1
View more PowerPoint from msanch43
Bon dia, barcelona2
View more PowerPoint from msanch43
Monday, May 7, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Welcome to Lavínia, Barcelona
You’ve been welcomed all day long: by teachers, children, authorities... It is now the turn of families. It will be difficult to say something original but I will try.
Books and roses. Words and love. And love for words. That’s la Diada de Sant Jordi, Saint George’s Day in Catalonia. But that’s also all days in Lavínia. We love reading and talking every day, every week, every year.
Then you’ve seen la Sardana, our dance, where we all have the same role. And els Castellers, our human towers, where each one works its best to do a good job together.
The harmony of cultures. So what’s all this about? Let me use some other catalan people words.
I am a catalan. Today a province of Spain. But what has been Catalonia? Catalonia has been the greatest nation in the world. I will tell you why. Catalonia has had the first parliament much before England. Catalonia had the beginning of the United Nations. All the authorities of Catalonia at the XI century met in a city of France, then Catalonia, to speak about peace. At the XI century. Peace in the world and against, against, against wars. The inhumanity of wars. This was Catalonia.
Pau Casals, one of the best cello players and also a great composer, said these words in 1971 at the United Nations. And maybe it’s just that, peace. Peace and respect for each other. Respect for our traditions, for our languages, for our differences. And finding ways to meet, to work together. I think that’s what Comenius is about.
There’s a lot of work to do but let me finish with the words of one of our greatest poets, Miquel Martí i Pol, who gave us some clues:
We just have
What we have and nothing else: this particular moment of history
That concerns us and a tiny
Territory to live it. Let’s
Stand again and make everyone’s voice
Be heard, solemn and clear.
Let’s shout who we are so that everyone hears it.
And then afterwards, let everyone dress
As they please, and to work!
Because everything needs to be done and everything is possible.
Enjoy your days here and welcome to Lavínia, our little school in a very big city working for peace and respect. Working for the harmony of cultures.
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