Students’ impressions from Scotland about the meeting in Germany
The
Comenius project took place in Grossen Buseck, Germany. 32 pupils, from 9
countries went to Germany
to stay with host families and visit the local school, IGS Busecker Tal.
Day 1 Sunday 2nd of June
All
school groups were picked up by host families at the airports, train stations
or hotels and travelled to the towns that they lived in. We spent the full day
with the host families. We went to a Climbing
Park and had loads of fun,
some events were quite challenging but it was a great experience and a great
way to bond with our hosts and their families.
Day 2 Monday 3rd of June
On
Monday everyone had to arrive at the school for 8am. We were all looking
forward to meeting new people and we were very excited. After a quick
introduction we had a guided tour around the school and a great performance by
the school band. Then all the schools presented their power points “How We Deal
with Bullying and Violence in Our School” Then it was lunch time. We had lunch
in the school café on the menu was “schnitzel in a mushroom sauce and rosti” they
also offered a great salad selection. As soon as we had finished eating we had
to rush off to catch a train to Giessen
only to find out that the train was cancelled, so we had to take a crowded bus
to the Mathimatikum (the world’s first museum for applied math and physics) it
was good and really interesting. Then we had a guided tour around the city- so
pretty. Once that was finished we went swimming with our host families and it
had diving boards, a chute and a “cold pool”. We took the bus back and we went
straight to bed as we were exhausted!
Day 3 Tuesday 4th of June
On
Tuesday we were at the school for 8.20 am. When everyone arrived, we watched as
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany
and Italy
performed their theatre plays and then we ate lunch. We got the train to Marburg and had a guided
tour around the beautiful, historic town. After that we had one hour free time
in which we wandered about and had ice cream and crepes because it was
ROASTING!
Day 3 Wednesday 5th of June
Up
early again for we were to be at the school for 8.15am and quickly boarded a
bus about to take us to “Hessenpark” near Frankfurt.
Hessenpark is a reconstructed village from medieval times. We ate lunch at the park- a German stew
called “eintopf”. Then we went into Frankfurt and had guided tour including the
Goethe Museum.
Day 4 Thursday 6th of June
We
arrived at the school at 8.15 am Latvia,
Poland, Romania, Scotland
and Turkey
performed the final of the plays. Lunch again at the café and then sports which
was loads of fun there was so many activities to try including handball,
netball, football, land surfing and gymnastics. After that it was free time and
we went swimming again to an outdoor lake pool. It was great, but the water was
very cold! Once we had all got ready we had a farewell party at the school. It was
a real highlight! It had delicious food and we made more friends and we had a fabulous
time.
In
conclusion it was a really positive experience that we will remember forever! Everyone
from IGS Busecker Tal was so welcoming and friendly. We are so glad that we
took part and can’t wait for everyone to come to Kilmarnock
in November!
Impressions from Scotland about the meeting in Greece
The Comenius Programme was set up to develop knowledge and understanding
among young people and education staff of the diversity of European cultures
and languages, and the value of this diversity; to help young people to acquire
basic life skills and competences for their personal development, for future
employment and for active European citizenship
Six lucky individuals from Kilmarnock Academy
( teachers Mr Ramsay and Ms Fullerton and pupils Coryn McKnight, Rebecca
Shearin, Mathew McAteer and Torin McKenzie) have just returned from Greece
in the latest phase of a Comenius project involving 10 countries from the
European Community.
The countries involved were Bulgaria, Cyprus,
Germany, Greece, Italy,
Latvia, Poland, Romania,
Scotland and Turkey.
Teachers and pupils from all these countries gathered at the Music School of
Komotini in the town of the same name in Northern Greece.
There we were treated to an amazing display
of hospitality, generosity and organisational virtuosity by our wonderful Greek
hosts.
From the first night concert, where the
welcome was warm and the talent shown by the pupils truly awe-inspiring, to the
final formal farewell dinner, our week in Greece was literally and figuratively
a breathtaking experience.
The opening concert featured musical
tributes to each of the participating countries from an array of talented
pupils including the Guitar ensemble, the European Choir, the Jazz Band, solo
pianists, piano duettists; and culminated in a beautiful solo version of Auld
Land Syne with a haunting guitar accompaniment provided by the young singer
himself.
Following that, our Greek hosts had
organised dinner for us in a local restaurant. Many of the staff from the Music School
joined us for the meal, and their ability to converse in English put us with
our few stumbling Greek phrases to shame. The Greeks eat late! And they are
unfailingly generous hosts! The mezes
(Greek starter dishes) seemed never to stop coming. Then the main… then
the “Dolces” (desserts)… and, yes, the wine! Then it was back to the hotel for
a few short hours sleep.
The next morning we were up in time to
leave at 8.30 for the Music
School. There each group
of participating students gave presentations on Traditional Games played by
young people in their countries. It turns out that many of the games familiar
to Scottish schoolchildren from the playground and parties are common across Europe.
We heard of variations of hopscotch;
skipping games, dodge ball, “I sent a letter to my love (perhaps better known
to today’s youngsters as “duck, duck, goose”, which is similar!) and other
circle games that would be familiar to pupils in Primary School playgrounds
across Scotland.
Afterwards the young people taught each
other to play their versions of the games in the school gymnasium and a lot of
fun was had by all. This session finished with a mass participation in The
Syrtaki; the Greek dance made famous by the film Zorba the Greek.
Lunch was in the school cafeteria, then
back to the hotel (and in the case of the students, to the host families) for a
rest before the afternoon outing.
On the afternoon programme was a walk round
Komotini to several museums of interest. When we saw that it was teeming with
rain, we imagined that it would be called off, but the Greeks are made of
sterner stuff. Umbrellas were produced, and off we went to various museums: one
showing relics of domestic life in the area and housed in a local mansion that
had been gifted by the owners to the town; one displaying archaeological relics
dating back to the Neolithic age and spanning all the thousand of years since;
one dedicated to ecclesiastical relics; and finally a church, glowing with
candles, gilt and icons.
As it continued pouring with rain throughout,
we skipped the intended visit to the local market and returned to the hotel and
host families to dry off and recover before dinner. Again, many of the staff
from the host school joined us for the meal. Another amazing restaurant … a
procession of delicious dishes … good conversation…
The next day, we were taken on a bus tour
through the Thracian countryside, passing olive groves and picturesque seaside
resorts against the backdrop of the Rhodope Mountains.
We stopped at the monastery of St Nikolaos, in the middle of a lake and
accessed by two walkways. Next, we went
to the archaeological site at Philippi, site of Mark Antony’s famous battle and
St Paul’s visits (hence his letters to the Philippians), and a site of
strategic importance on the ancient Via Egnatia where we saw the amazing
amphitheatre( still used for drama performances during the summer); the remains
of ancient churches; the supposed site of St Paul’s tomb; the “agora” (central
square); the toilets and baths. These were sprawled over a barren, rocky
hillside and the plain below, and involved much clambering over rocks and (if
we were lucky) up and down steps.
Next, we were off to the charming town of Kavala, for lunch in a
sort of tented booth by the harbour. Clear plastic walls meant we could look
out over the harbour in comfort while we again tried to do justice to the
procession of delicious dishes that were put before us.
A quick trip round the nearby ancient and
picturesque town of Xanthi
concluded the programme for the day, so it was back to the hotel to change for
dinner! Yet again, many of the staff of the host school turned out to join us
for the meal.
On our last day the young people were to
demonstrate examples of traditional dances from their countries, and the
morning was given over to rehearsals for this, while the teachers had a
planning meeting. Our pupils had decided on The Gay Gordons and The Canadian
Barn dance, and these were widely agreed by the group as a whole to be the
easiest to learn and the most fun.
Then the staff were taken to view the
industrial area of Komotini while the students participated in a Music lesson.
The farewell concert consisted of the
students from each country, many wearing national costumes, demonstrating the
folk dances of their country. Mr Ramsay in a kilt of the Ramsay tartan,
accompanied our students on the piano, and Torin also sported a kilt. It was a
wonderful and colourful display – and interesting to note that the Romanian
dance used the same tune as the dance demonstrated by the Polish students,
while the actual dance bore a strong resemblance to The Gay Gordons! Again, the
links and common cultures between countries were demonstrated by this session.
The session culminated in a “Mass Syrtaki”, with the students weaving up and down
the aisles and round the Concert Hall in a moving display of solidarity. The
enjoyment shown by the students in learning and participating in each others’
cultures throughout the week really demonstrated what the Comenius programme is
all about!.
The evening finished with a formal dinner
provided by our hosts at which all the students and teachers the host families
and their friends and staff of the Music School came together to bid farewell.
Of course, it ended in dancing and many Greek dances were involved!
We all learned so much about the cultures
and people of the participating countries and made friendships that will last
beyond the programme. We are so looking forward to welcoming the partners to Kilmarnock in November, and showing them a bit of Scottish
hospitality and culture.
It was a whirlwind of impressions and
experiences that will long live in the memories of those lucky enough to take
part.
