We actualized the second mobility of Piece Of A Whole in SLovakia between 23rd-28th of March in 2014 with the representative of Estonia (two teachers and a student), France (two teachers), Italy (3 teachers and four students), Poland (three teachers and eleven students), Spain (one teacher) and Turkey (three teachers).

On Monday French, Spanish and Turkish teams were ready at Slovakian school (Zakladna Skola) and visited the departments of school with the accompaniment of Slovakian students. Ludmila, who represent the  Slovakian team were always with us. Eva and Olga representing the administration  of Zakladna Skola were really helpful in other ways.

In the first day we had the chance to learn about Slovakian school. There were several sport halls and out space sport opportunities. We could get into the classrooms and talk with kids. They were very interested and keen to interact with us.  

The second day was the formal welcome of the meeting. Students wearing traditional Slovak clothes were ready with salt and bread to serve the guests in front of the school. There were introductory wallboards of each partner counrty in the enterance. Ludmila told that there was also a knowledge contest among their students about the countries carried out with the well-prepared wallboards of partners.

After Polish, Estonian and Italian teams had time to see the school departments (as they were just arrived on Monday), some kind of honouring (good food and presents)were ready for us in the teachers’ room. Mayor of Raca (the region where the school is located) visited us at the same moment with a kind welcome and some presents representing Bratislava.

Then we could see an amazing show prepared by the students. There were performances of Piece of a Whole Project activities like ryhtm, drama and chorus. Students displayed some traditional and modern dances prepared by themselves also.

Later the POW team made a meeting in the library to discuss about ongoing and further activities. We talked about new Social Media Tools activitiy arranged by the coordination of Spanish and Turkish collaboration. We expect our students interact with each other  more effectively via twinspace  by introducing the new steps about social media tools activitiy to the responsibles.

On Tuesday evening we were together in a beatiful restaurant with Comenius friends and we had an opportunity to degust delicious Slovak wines.  There had been a surprise for Ludmila, the deputy headmaster of Slovak school, also. She had her birthday in the following week. But Jagoda, Polish English teacher had organized a surprise birthday party for her after the meal. There was a cake and a surprise birthday song performed by Italian and Polish students. It has been an emotional memory for Ludmila.

On Wednesday, POW team visited a crafts shop in Bratislava and guest students from Italy and Poland had the chance to make traditional Slovak handcrafts accompanied with experienced handcraft teachers bu using wires, ropes, wood, paint etc.

After the time in crafts shop POW  team visited the historical and important places in Bratislava old town in the content of a guied tour.

On Thursday POW team visited a play school (kindergarten) accompanied by English teacher, Sonia.  We could see the classrooms and had chance to talk with kids. We observed that there were big classes for each age levels from 3 to 6 and they also had a seperate sleeping and lunch places. We were impressed with the kind welcome and special interest of the administration and teachers of the kindergarten.

Later we visited old Raca’s home and could see the museum inside. We saw the pictures and products of old ages in Raca.

In the evening we attended the Teachers’ Day Dinner at school. We could taste very special food served for us and we enjoyed the entertainment program prepared by the Slovakian teachers.  Teachers’ Day Dinner was the formal ending of our visit in Slovakia. We said good-bye to each other and declared our best wishes till the next mobility.

Many thanks to Ludmila for the amazing Slovakia week, special interest and deep emotional relationship grown stronger during the meeting events.

MUSIC MAKES US COME TOGETHER

In the Comenius project Piece of a Whole we had formed a chorus and rhytm group in our schools. Studens are designing original musical instruments using waste materials by the help of teachers and partner schools share pieces/songs performed by their chorus and rhytm groups. 

Chorus and rhytm groups were making rehearsals routinly till November under the coordinatorship of Estonian team and Estonian English teacher Kristel. Some countries have prepared many songs and rhytm shows up to now. 

The deadlines for the chorus and rhytm activity was determined by Estonian team like this:

November 2013 - students make musical instruments using waste materials and decorate them -

                            take photos and upload them to drop box and eTwinning.

December 2013 - an exhibition of the musical instruments.

                          - students create songs or find popular folk songs.

January 2014     - students learn to sing the songs and use the musical instruments they have made.

                          - performance at school - recorded the show and upload it to drop box and eTwinning.

Partner schools are working intensely on activities and process is very busy but enjoyable. Below you can watch a slide show displaying the preparation process, warming rehearsals and samples from the rhytm activity of Spanish team.

Fotos | Photos

Below  you can watch the moments that Estonian students practice a song. There is a video Estonian students perform a song using handmade instruments, also.

 And below you can watch samples of rehearsals from Turkey.  

We will publish new samples from all partners in due course.  We are looking forward to see different samples from the partners. Chorus and rhytm activity is one of the strongest activities that makes us come together and become a whole.

Turkish Food Team Presents The Recipe Books and Traditional Foods

       Turkish food team created three e-books to introduce you typical Turkish foods. First e-book was created in the concept of  foods with yoghurt.  We fermantated yoghurt at school. We produced ayran (a yogurt based, salty drink) from our homemade (or schoolmade) yoghurt. And we prepared a yoghurt soup, carrot tarator sauce and cacık (a fresh appetizer which has yoghurt, cucumber, peppermint and salt in it). We wanted to introduce you our most common foods with yoghurt. 

        The second e-book is prepared in the concept of "Tea Time". Turkish tea, called çay,(pronounced Chai) is black tea is produced on the eastern Black Sea coast, which has a mild climate with high precipitation and fertile soil. Turkish tea is typically prepared using two stacked kettles (çaydanlık) specially designed for tea preparation. Water is brought to a boil in the larger lower kettle and then some of the water is used to fill the smaller kettle on top and steep several spoons of loose tea leaves, producing a very strong tea. When served, the remaining water is used to dilute the tea on an individual basis, giving each consumer the choice between strong ") or weak. Tea is drunk from small glasses to enjoy it hot in addition to showing its colour, with cubes of beet sugar.

Turkish people like eating some homemade snacks in company with tea at teatime (or any time during the day). Here we present you some homemade Turkish snacks for large family meals or for your guests in important days.

And finally Turkish food team proudly presents you the e-book called "My Mother's Recipes". Our pupils asked their mothers to cook together for this e-book. And they recorded their cooking process by pictures and videos.

     Here are some collage works including the moments of our students cooking with their mothers.

Layered pastry with cheese (Peynirli Börek) filling prepared by Ece Öktem Aydın

     Below you can watch a small video consisting of Ece's pictures at the moment of preparing Peynirli Börek.

     

 Meat Pasty (Mantı) prepared by Beril Durmazoğlu

Mole Cake prepared by Beril Durmazoğlu

 Vine leaves with meat and rice stuffing prepared by Beril Durmazoğlu

Below you can watch how Beril and her mother wrap the vine leaves  with the filling ingredients

 

 Pide filled with seasmed minced meat prepared by Beril Durmazoğlu

Below you can watch a small record that shows how Beril and her mother prepared the dough and the original shape of pide.

Haricot Bean prepared by Cemre Gülbel

Potato Salad prepared by Ebrar Sert

 We hope you try and enjoy these dishes. That's all for now from Turkey..To be contioued..

School Presentation From Turkey

       School presentation is a very important activity for school projects. We thought that it would be better if a presentation would be a student work completely. And Turkish team had organized a video competition to introduce our school. The competition went on for one month. And students took photos inside and around school, prepared their texts to be read in the video and asked their friends for help. Now the competition is finished and Cüneyt Beylan, Turkish 8th grade student is the winnner of the competition. Here we publish his video introducing our school, Düzce Cumhuriyet Secondary School. Congratulations and many thanks to Cüneyt for his excellent work. Here comes our school video..

Mobility to Italy

         POW team met in Trezzano on 4th-9th of November. Hospitable Italian team had prepared a splendid welcome. The magic started in the gate of Istituto Comprensivo Franceschi. Art teacher Pietro De Seta had prepared a wall painting including partner countries flags and welcome words in their mother tongues. And more paints were ready to colorify contact persons' hand to leave an unforgettable print on the wall.

 

      The POW team (Estonia, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Slovakia and Turkey) met each other in the first exciting day. During the day we could see the departments of Istituto Comprensivo Franceschi in company with Italian students. We also had opportunity to attend some of the lessons. And during the week in Trezzano we could visit a primary school, a playschool and a children’s library.

 

       In children’s library we also could see a video about Navigli which is a system of navigable and interconnected canals around Milan.

 

        Wednesday was the day for Milan city tour. The POW team visited the Cathedral, Galleria, the Scala, Leonardo’s Last Supper. And we had well-quilifed guides (Michele, Giuseppe and two students) with us.
 

 

 

        During the time in Italian school, we also had some meetings with the whole team about some project issues like dates of visits and students’ mobilities. We shared our ideas and formed a general timetable about the 2-year-period.  

       And the last day was so inspiring with the presentation of disabled athlete Marco who took part in parolympic games. Italian teachers Francine, Vittoria, Francesca and Emanuela with her class were with us in the meeting, too.

 

 

           To be continoued in the next mobility to Slovakia..