Last visit - Poland

Finally, the time has come for our last meeting. From 7th to 11th May we visit our Polish school in Jezewo. We've been looking forward to it! Jezewo is a little town between Gdansk and Bydgoszcz, in the north part of the country. We had to fly to Berlin and spend a night there in our there and back. This time, the Spanish delegation was formed by three students from the 4th level of the Secondary School: Andrea Raya, Herenia García and Ornella Galiano; and three teachers: Grisela Delgado (Maths department), Beatriz Díaz (English department) and Sandra Reyes (Coordinator).

During the two half-days we spent in Berlin, we visited the city and the famous Wall, which fell down in October 1989.

Graffitti in the Wall are very famous, and they speak of Tolerance and Freedom. Here are some of them:

Tuesday 7th, May 2012
While bus arrives at the hotel where teachers stay in the beautiful city of Chelmno (20 kms far from the school), students attend a programme specialy prepared by the Students Council. At 9.00, we're received by Polish school principals, teachers and students. Polish tradition says that guest must be welcomed with salt and bread.

Then, we attend a class of Polish language and culture, where we were able to learn some of the most significant words in order to 'survive' the rest of the week. At the end, we even got a diplom!

We made our tour through the school in a very interesting way. We were proposed to visit it on our own, playing a kind of school quest where we had to guess and find the answers for some quizzes! It was very funny and we enjoyed it very much!

Then, we were received by Jezewo local authorities. In the afternoon, we had our first long meeting, visit to Chelmno and dinner at hotel restaurant with other delegations.

Wednesday, 9th May 2012

Today, we visit a former Nazi Death Camp called Stuthoff. This visit is not nice but necessary. In spite of everything that happened during II World War, are we really doomed to repeat history?

In the afternoon we went to Gdansk, one of the venues of the Football European Championship. The old medieval town is very beatiful and worth a visit.

Afterwards, we came back to the school where we were offered a typical Polish meal!

Thursday, 10th May 2012

During the morning students attend special workshops where they work in international teams and create products for the poject, like "Ten Commandments"

This was the result. They really did a good job!

While students were working hard, we (teachers) did also our job in our second meeting. We were also given a lecture about Romani people living in Poland. It was very interesting.

Before lunch, we all participate in the event "Tolerance and Sport". It was really funny!

In the afternoon, we visit a local Refugee Centre in Grupa, a nearby town. There, we where received with the warmest welcome. Youngs danced and singed their tradicional songs and they also prepared a special meal for us!

Friday, 11th May 2012

We begin our last day in Poland visiting the city of Torun. There, we are received by Regional authorities. Then, a little tour around the old town. There, even old Copernicus is ready to play football!

After that, we relaxed in a newly opened waterpark in Nieszawka Mala, a town near Torun. In the afternoon, students had some free time with families and went to a barbacue party:

Teachers had our farewell dinner as well. It's time to say good bye, but we prefer 'see you soon, my friend'!
Thank you very much, Polish delegation!

5th Visit - Turkey

It took us almost two days to reach Finike, in the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, near Antalya. In the meantime, a short visit to Düsseldurf -9º, just to taste a little bit of that Siberian cold that reached almost all countries in Europe. This time, our expedition is formed by three students: Greta Muzzi, Raquel Simon and Joel Romero; and three teachers: Luis Amando Rodríguez (History teacher), Juan José Martín (English Department) and Sandra Reyes (Spanish Department).

We arrived in Finike very late at night. In the airport families, teachers and old friends are waiting for us. Their friendly welcome and their kindness make up for all the cold weather and the long journeys in the world.

On Tuesday 7th May, we visit the school, are welcomed by the headmistress and little students of pre-primary education perform a show for us.

At school, they have some profesional studies related to cooking and catering, so we were offered some cocktails prepared by students and also a meal another day. They were delicious!

The show by these little students of pre-primary education and also a short live Turkish music concert were specially touching.

In the afternoon, we all visited the ancient historical city of Arykanda and rain appeared also, although it wasn't invited!

In Arykanda's ancient theatre we could check acoustic with a live music concert given by some of the teachers.

On Wednesday, students attend classes with their hosts and teachers have our first meeting. Time to work!

In the afternoon we make a tour to Demre and the ancient city of Myra. Undoubtly, one of the most beautiful places in the world!

Later, we visit Santas' church: St. Nicholaos Church and made a tour by boat to see the sunken city of Kekova.

On Thursday, we travelled to Antalya. We spent the day visiting the ancient city of Olimpos, Antalya Museum and Aspendos ancient theatre (the biggest one in Turkey and very well preserved in the world)

Teachers worked in our meeting and students attended some classes on our last day in Turkey. After lunch, each delegation made their own workshop and the school gave us a diplom for participating in the project.

Farewell Turkey! Thank you very much for your kind welcome. We hope to see you all again very soon!

16th November, TOLERANCE DAY

Sadako and the thousand cranes

Japanese Origami Technic gave us the idea on how to celebrate Tolerance Day at our school. There is the story of a little girl name Sadako Sasaki who lived in Hiroshima at the time of the atomic bombing by the United States. She developed leukemia from the radiation and spent her time in a nursing home creating origami (folded paper) cranes in hope of making a thousand of them. She was inspired to do so by the Japanese legend that one who created a thousand origami cranes would then be granted a wish. Her wish was simply to live. However, she managed to fold only 644 (356 to go) cranes before she became too weak to fold any more, and died shortly after. Her friends and family helped finish her dream by folding the rest of the cranes, which were buried with Sadako. They also built a statue of Sadako holding a giant golden origami crane in Hiroshima Peace Park.

Now every year on Obon Day, which is a holiday in Japan to remember the departed spirits of one's ancestors, thousands of people leave paper cranes near the statue. On the statue is a plaque: "This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace on Earth."

A thousand paper cranes are traditionally given as a wedding gift by the father, who is wishing a thousand years of happiness and prosperity upon the couple. They can also be gifted to a new baby for long life and good luck. Hanging a Senbazuru in one's home is thought to be a powerfully lucky and benevolent charm.

In Western countries, the custom has been extended from giving a senbazuru to cancer patients, to using them at funerals or on the grave. Specially significant is the one in Saint Paul's Church near Cero Zone in New York. Here's a photograph of it.

So, origami cranes are a symbol of Peace all over the world. Peace and Tolerance are so united that we celebrate both when we celebrate only one of them. 

We ask all our students to make origami figures and write a message in it, about Tolerance and Peace. We hang them all in our the entrance hall.

4th Visit - Belgium

We begin our second year with the project with a new visit to our partner school in Belgium. This time, the Spanish team if formed by four students (Camila Godoy, Claudia García, Claudia Cobos and Cathaysa González) and three teachers (María Antuña, José Ángel Martínez and Sandra Reyes).

On our first day students attend some classes while teachers have our meeting. After lunch, we watch  a series of documentary films made by Fabio Wuytack about the differences concerning tolerance. 

On Wednesday, we go to Brussels, capial city of Belgium. We visit the European Parliament and do some city sightseeing on walk after that.

On Thursday we visit some of the most important I World War sites in Belgium, including some trenches.

In the afternoon we visit Tyne Cot Passendale the biggest English war Cemetery of Europe. Our Polish partners lit some candles there. It was quite moving and emotional, as well as our visit to "In Flanders Fields" Museum in Ieper.

On Friday students attend some lessons while teachers have our second meeting concerning our Comenius project website, created by two Belgian students. They have done a very good job!

We finish our week there with a very interesting workshop about Mandalas.

Another wonderful week abroad!

First and Second Commandments of Tolerance

Little by little, bit by bit, we're making our list of Commandments. Here are the first two:

First Commandment: You should give disabled people the right to contribute to society by appreciating their own abilities.
Second Commandment:  You should not isolate, but include disabled people.

3rd visit: Finland

Our visit to Finland took place from 9th to 13th May. Fortunately, the weather was really good at that time. Our team was formed by two students: Marta Roldán and Alba Rodríguez; and three teachers: Rosa del Rosario, Victoria Castro and Sandra Reyes.
In Finland we visit Korpilahti Secondary School, a smaller school than ours but full equiped as you can see in the photographs.

A curiosity in this school is that everybody wears indoor shoes or socks. Our students also! They leave their things in lockers. Can you imagine that in our school?

That morning we also visited Korpilahti Activity Center, where disabled people work and stay a few hours during the day. They were very friendly and showed us some of the things they build there.

In the afternoon students attended some classes and teachers had our first meeting. After that a rowing trip in Lake Päijänne for teachers and some socializing for students. Note please who's doing the hard work here!

                            
On Wednesday we lived one of the most funny and enriched experiences regarding disability. We visited Hippos Sports Center in Jyväskylä. There they work with circus techniques and the idea that everybody is good at something. We practiced a lot and then showed all the others.

After lunch we visited Jyväskylä University and the Niilo Mäki Institute, which is specialized on the research of learning disabilities.

In the afternoon we visited Gloria Multicultural Centre. They do a great job helping people from all over the world.

On Thursday we visited the Jyväskylä School for the Visually Impaired. 

After lunch students went to play some bowling and wall climbing and teachers visited the Savutuvan Apaja (a “village” of historical farm buildings from Central Finland).

 On Friday, students attended some classes while teachers had our second meeting. In the evening, we had a farewell typical dinner at Harald Restaurant with a concert by one of the teachers and her group. It was a wonderful week!

Questionnaire on disabled people

Here you can see the results of our school relating this questionnaire about disability. It's also an opportunity to surf our website again!
http://www.ttcot.eu/event.php?id=7