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Our Comenius Magazine with our experience in the European project.
Citation preview
2015
“CONNECTING SCHOOLS, BUILDING CITIZENSHP”
1
14/09/2015
After two years of intense work,
emotions, exchanges, reflection,
debates, friendship, and many other
things to be included in this
magazine, it is time to put an end to
our project “Connecting Schools,
Building Citizenship”. However, this
farewell comes along with feelings
of satisfaction with the common and
shared achievements, happiness
and excitement, meetings and
farewells, but, above all, strong ties
between the people and the
schools. These ties make us believe
that our interpersonal and working
relationships will continue in the
future. As a matter of fact, this is
already starting to happen: some
Polish students have spent their
summer holidays with Galician
families, there have been teachers’
meetings in Lisbon, the social
networks are very active, and there
is even a new project in the making:
“Many paths, one destiny: Santiago
de Compostela”.
For the last two years, both teachers
and students have learnt together,
complementing our vision of fair,
free and humanitarian European
building. We discovered the natural
and cultural heritage of the countries
concerned in the project. We were
able to convey the message to our
educational communities that we
work a lot better together, and that
linguistic, cultural, religious or other
barriers fall away when we get to
know each other and form bonds.
Our students were able to acquire
significant knowledge that they
could subsequently apply to their
own lives after reflection, critic
analysis and comprehension. They
built up personal autonomy and
citizenship awareness and felt they
were playing a role in building the
Europe of people.
As for the families, the project
provided a space to promote
participation and integration in
school life. Their participation in the
project contributed to its success.
Their availability, willingness to host
foreign students and participation in
numerous activities strengthened
their ties with the school and their
commitment to quality, inclusive and
more free education.
As for the teachers, Comenius
allowed us to develop and share
new learning strategies and
methodologies, understand the
2
common challenges of the
“important” task of educating, tighten
professional and especially personal
bonds, enjoy hard work but also
sharing, discovering and visiting
places. We were able to compare
education systems and know how to
respond to the major challenges in
education. Like the students, we
have developed strong ties of
friendship, which has driven us to
consider future common projects.
By way of conclusion, discussing the
idea of Europe, discovering common
values, defending equality of
peoples and cultures, men and
women, and respecting the
differences, has allowed the
participating students to grow as
autonomous, critical, analytical,
open-to-dialogue, respectful and
more European individuals.
Luisa Márquez
3
On September 2014, twenty-five polish students and two teachers visited Pontevedra, they spent one week. We enjoyed a lot with them in our city. All together visited Pontevedra and some small villages on the coasts (Combarro, Sanxenxo, O Grove) and La Lanzada beach.
They were with Galician students on some classes about History. Literature and Language and they learnt to play some traditional Galician instruments.
They lived with our families so that they could eat traditional food and know about our lifestyle. They visited Santiago, Coruña and they knew some about the Galician Heritage.
They had the opportunity to go to Cies Islands, a wonderful natural park. We sailed for three hours and then we could enjoyed a nice day visiting the island, walking to the lighthouse and bathing on the beach.
We spent a very good time with our polish friends and it was difficult to say them goodbye but we were going to meet again on may 2015.
4
The second meeting between teachers took place in Escola EB 2,3/ Aquilino Ribeiro in Porto Salvo (Portugal) from 4th to 7th of November 2014. There were 11 participants
During the stay the teachers worked together so as to come up with common decisions about the second year of the project.
They also had the opportunity to visit the school, meet the students and discover Porto Salvo and the region including the capital city of Lisboa.
All the cultural activities were oganized by the Portuguese team.
Decisions and deadlines.
Concerning the “Holocaust week”, the teachers decided that each school should come up with an exhibition which can include pictures, videos, articles and a part of the exhibition should be devoted to gipsy people.
The main task for February would be to work on boys and girls’ roles in society.
March and April should be devoted to the work on gipsy people and especially on the representation of gipsy people in arts. This part of the project should be completed by the end of April. Around the 8th of April, each school will celebrate the International Day of the Gipsy People.
As far as the students’ mobility is concerned, Portuguese, Spanish and French students will be coming from the 2nd of May to the 9th of May in Rzeszow (Poland).
5
There are two kinds of Galician
costumes: the one that is daily
won, made of a coarse fabric, and
the etiquette costume, basically
made of fine fabric and silk.
A woman’s costume is made up of
refaixo (an underskirt) , mantel (a
long apron worn on top on the skirt
and tied at the back), mandil a
smaller apron worn on top of the
mantelo, a shirt or blouse, dengue
(a short cape covering the
shoulders, crossed at the bossom
and tying bac at the back. The
dengue is usually beautifully
decorated with jet and sequins or
gems depending on social status. It
is only part of the etiquette
costume). The mantón is a big
embroidered shawl worn on top of
the dengue. The head is usually
covered by a cap or a scarf. If
women wear nothing on the head,
they wear their long hair plaited or in
a bun. Long beautiful earings,
usually made of jet and silver are an
important part of the outfit.
The man’s outfit is simpler. It consisted of gaits, leggings o other
forms of underwear, trousers a guird, a shirt, a waistcoat, a jacket and a hat or monteira (a cap made of black velvet and adoned with sequins, tassels and other trimmings).
6
THE MORPHOLOGY OF THE GALICIAN BAGPIPE
Since the second half of the thirteenth century there is clear evidence of the morphological evolution of the gaita. The first scuptural representations of the instrument show the gaita without a drone, that is, it consisted of one a fol (bag), the punteiro (chanter) and the soprete (mouthpiece).
At the same time as the development of polyphony the drones were added to the Galician bagpipe as an important harmonic source.
THE TERRAÑOLAS
This percussive instrument consist of two little thin woodenblocks which, when placed between the fingers,sound when the hand is shaken, thus producing the rhythm. In Galician, joined wooden spoons or “cuncha of vieiras” (scallop shells) are also used as a percussive instruments.
7
THE “PANDEIRETA”
The “pandeireta” consists of a wooden ring covered with sheepskin with ferreñas hanging around the edges. The hole for the ferreñas can be situated in atelrnating or parallel rows. This instrument was played almost exclusively by women. Traditional groups of pandeireteiras were used to entertain at ruadas, faideirasor popular fiestas.Nowdays, many groups of pandeireteiras prefer to maintain this tradition.
THE REDOBRANTE
It is considered one of the most essential Galician percussive instruments for gaita music. The gaiteiro is accompanied by a tamborileiro or drummer.
The traditional redobrante (high drum) has leather peaches and uses strings ti tighten these
THE CHARRASCO
It is a large size idiophone percussion musical instrument traditional in the autonomous community of Galicia.It may resemble a large size sort of ‘sistrum’, this one consisting of a wooden pole (with a total height that can range from 1.5 to 1.8 metres), having on its top end a trapezoidal or rectangular shaped wood frame .This frame has a certain number of pairs of small metal circular jingles (ferreñas in Galician) that are placed to vibrate in vertical or horizontal position.
8
THE ZANFONA or THE HURDY GURDY
The Hurdy Gurdy is also known as: 'Drehleier' in German, 'Vielle à Roue' in French, 'Viola de Roda' en Catalan, 'Ghironda' in Italian, 'Zanfona' in Spanish, 'Brenka' in Basque,… It can be described as something as a violin where the friction on the strings is performed by the edge of a wooden wheel that turns inside the body of the instrument. The rotation of the wheel is performed by the right hand of the player on a crank, while the strings are pressed by the left hand fingers on a small keyboard.
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Considered Poland's greatest composer, Frédéric Chopin focused his efforts on piano composition and was a strong influence on composers who followed him.
Born on March 1, 1810, in Zelazowa Wola, Poland, Frédéric Chopin, grew up in a middle-class family. He published his first composition at age 7 and began performing one year later. In 1832, he moved to Paris, socialized with high society and was known as an excellent piano teacher. His piano compositions were highly influential. He died on October 17, 1849, in Paris, France.
His departure from Warsaw coincided with the unsuccessful national rising against Russian domination and Chopin found himself in Paris in the company of a number of other Polish exiles. He was able to establish himself as a pianist and as a teacher of the piano, primarily in fashionable society. For some ten years Chopin enjoyed a liaison with the writer George Sand, but broke with her during the last years of his life, brought to a close by the tuberculosis from which he had long suffered. His compositions, principally for the piano, make a remarkable use of the newly developed instrument, exploring its poetic possibilities while generally avoiding the more obvious ostentation of the Paris school of performers.
10
We would like to show you some traditional instruments. We made a selection for our French, portugueses and Spanish friends. These are: FUJARA, a folk musical instrument with a group of aerophones, made from the back of willow or osier.
TREMBITA, a folk wind instrument in the shape of a straight pipe or bent at the end of the trumpet with a length of 4 meters.
Used as a pastoral trumpet. Gives deep, low sound. ZLOBCOKI, polish folk music instrument. They were raised, elongated, narrow and carved. They usually had 3-4 strings. They were played with a bow and the sound seemed quiet but sharp.
MAZANKI, a small, old stringed instrument with three strings, shaped like a violin. It had a high-pitched sound.
11
Lisboa Menina e Moça
By Ary dos Santos and Paulo de
Carvalho
No castelo, ponho um cotovelo Em Alfama, descanso o olhar E assim desfaz-se o novelo De azul e mar À ribeira encosto a cabeça A almofada, na cama do Tejo Com lençóis bordados à pressa Na cambraia de um beijo Lisboa menina e moça, menina Da luz que meus olhos vêem tão pura Teus seios são as colinas, varina Pregão que me traz à porta, ternura Cidade a ponto luz bordada Toalha à beira mar estendida Lisboa menina e moça, amada Cidade mulher da minha vida No terreiro eu passo por ti Mas da graça eu vejo-te nua Quando um pombo te olha, sorri És mulher da rua E no bairro mais alto do sonho Ponho o fado que soube inventar Aguardente de vida e medronho Que me faz cantar
Lisboa menina e moça, menina Da luz que meus olhos vêem tão pura Teus seios são as colinas, varina Pregão que me traz à porta, ternura Cidade a ponto luz bordada Toalha à beira mar estendida Lisboa menina e moça, amada Cidade mulher da minha vida Lisboa no meu amor, deitada Cidade por minhas mãos despida Lisboa menina e moça, amada Cidade mulher da minha vida
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BALADA DO DESAJEITADO
Letra do poema e música original de Sebastião Antunes, 1997, dos Quadrilha – banda portuguesa de música folclórica, cujo estilo resulta da fusão de elementos da música tradicional portuguesa e da música celta. Mais tarde, interpretado pelos D.A.M.A..
Eu não sei O que é que te hei-de dar Nem te sei Inventar frases bonitas Mas aprendi uma ontem Só que já me esqueci Então olha gosto muito de ti
Sei de alguém Por demais envergonhado Que por ser tão desajeitado Nunca foi capaz de falar Só que hoje Viu o tempo que perdeu Sabes que esse alguém sou eu E agora eu vou-te contar Sabes lá O que é que eu tenho passado Estou sempre a fazer-te sinais E tu não me tens ligado E aqui estou eu A ver o tempo a passar A ver se chega o tempo tempo de te falar Eu não sei O que é que te hei-de dar Nem te sei Inventar frases bonitas Mas aprendi uma ontem Só que já me esqueci Então olha só te quero a ti Podes crer Que à noite o sono é ligeiro Fico à espera o dia inteiro Para poder desabafar
Mas como sempre
Chega a hora da verdade E falta-me o à vontade Acabo por me calar Falta-me o jeito Ponho-me a escrever e rasgo Cada vez a tremer mais E às vezes até me engasgo Nada a fazer É por isso que eu te conto que é tarde para não dizer Digo como sei e pronto Eu não sei O que é que te hei-de dar Nem te sei Inventar frases bonitas Mas aprendi uma ontem Só que já me esqueci Então olha só te quero a ti
Eu não sei O que é que te hei-de dar Nem te sei Inventar frases bonitas Mas aprendi uma ontem Só que já me esqueci Então olha só te quero a ti
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em
RUvMEr7XI
13
You can watch it in these links https://vimeo.com/128153332 https://vimeo.com/132313924
14
The students say that their participation in the Project is an excellent way of learning and avoiding any kind of discrimination.
They feel they are very lucky because they were given the opportunity to take part in this project and they are very grateful because they enjoyed an unforgettable, unique experience. All of them share this slogan: no meu corazón, na miña vida, fíxome mellor, fíxome crecer como persoa.(In my heart, in my life, this experience draw the best of me and made me grow a a person) They wish all of their colleagues could have a similar experience.
They could visit Krakow with its history and people, they visited the Old Market, the Wawel Castle, the old Synagogue.
They loved the Wielizcka Mines because of the big space, the beauty of salt sculptures, wonderful lighting. Students were impressed at the working conditions, but also because of what workers can really accomplish. But all of them highlighted their visit to Auschwichtz because of the strongs emotions they felt.
I learnt to value my friends and teachers, to discover that rain doesn’t spoil a perfect day to (alluding to the Ghinkana at Rzeszów with groups from all the participating countries), that distance is n excuse for those who are afraid, that friends are not made with your tongue ut
with your heart, and that home is not a place but a feeling.
By Alba Lorenzo
15
One of the most-awaited yet
dreaded moments of our meeting in
Poland was the scheduled visit to
Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration
camp. During the two years of the
Comenius Programme, we had all
worked on the Holocaust and its
meaning. We discovered the stories
of the people who risked their lives
to fight against the Nazi brutality.
We found out that some of them
were recognised as “Righteous
among the Nations”, whereas others
remained anonymous. We learned
that one of these heroines was a
Galician woman from Ribadavia,
Lola Touza. We also learned about
the Holocaust of the Romany
people, the persecution of
homosexuals, etc. In addition, we
investigated on children in the
Holocaust, the ones who perished in
the camps and the ones who lost
their identity and family. We
organised two large exhibitions in
the centre, we saw films and
documentaries, read books and
accounts, etc.
We thought that all this would get us
ready for the visit but NOTHING
CAN GET YOUR READY FOR
AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU. On the
day of the visit, the 3rd of May 2015,
we woke up very early in our hotel in
Krakow and we got nervous as we
were approaching the entrance of
camp. The first shock came at the
camp gate, when our teacher
translated the sign on the gate
“Arbeit Macht Frei” (work makes you
free), an ultimate taunt against all
these men, women and children
who had already lost all hope. An
inner anxiety seized us all,
NOTHING CAN GET YOU READY
FOR AUSCHWITZ. Many of us
could not give up crying throughout
the visit. We could see the prints of
the killed, the pictures, the wall
where firing squad executions took
place, the punishment cells, the
ovens and the large gas chambers.
16
However, what struck us most was
the immensity of Birkenau II camp,
the people from all countries
wandering about, the rail tracks, the
barracks and, above all, the
SILENCE, a silence of grief,
bewilderment, anxiety. It is beyond
understanding how human beings
were able to commit such atrocities
on millions of other human beings
on behalf of an ideology of death
and destruction.
And now, after having seen all this,
we wonder, how is it possible that
neo-Nazi parties are growing in
Europe? How can anybody defend
the superiority of an ethnicity,
culture or religion over the others?
We believe there is a very effective
vaccination against all this hatred.
These people should visit Auschwitz
and be confronted with the dreadful
and dramatic events that happened
in this place.
We are thankful to the Comenius
Programme to give us the
opportunity to confront the
consequences of the failure of
dialogue and tolerance. We are now
more aware of the need to be active
agents in the defense of human
rights, everywhere and in every
occasion. Building a European
citizenship requires the commitment
by the young not to repeat our own
history’s mistakes.
By Yaiza Iglesias, Nicolás Gil,
Alejandro Días and Silvia García
17
Le Mardi 14 janvier nous avons visité le Mémorial de la déportation et le conservatoire historique du camp de Drancy situé à proximité des bâtiments de la cité de La muette à Drancy.
Cette cité est constituée de tours, d'immeubles en barre et d'un immeuble en forme de U qui comporte 1200 logements. Elle a été édifiée au début des années 1930, le projet avait pour but d’offrir au plus grand nombre des conditions de vie décentes, et d'apporter tous les services nécessaires à la vie d’une cité. Toutefois le chantier est resté inachevé à cause de la crise économique qui survient au milieu des années 1930.
Sous l'occupation allemande les Allemands choisissent volontairement le bâtiment inachevé en forme de U pour interner des prisonniers de guerre français et britanniques puis des « ressortissants de puissances ennemies ». Le 20 août 1941, suite à la rafle du XIe arrondissement, ce lieu de détention devint un camp d'internement exclusivement juif jusqu’à la libération de la région parisienne en août 1944; environ 80000 Juifs ont résidé dans ce camp. Jusqu'au 17 août 1944, le camp de Drancy a été le principal lieu de rassemblement des Juifs, déportés ensuite vers les camps d'extermination nazis. Dans les années 1947-1948, la cité de la muette a retrouvé sa vocation initiale d'habitations. Elle est aujourd'hui la propriété de l'Office départemental des HLM.
18
On the 4th of March 2015, as a part of Project ‘Comenius – Connecting schools, building citizenship’ , there was a meeting with professor Krzysztof Żarna at our school. He told us about the history and tragic fate of Gypsies during Holocaust. It was a really interesting lesson for us. We got to know possible origins of Gypsies, why they were pursued and murdered. The professor told us about Gypsies’ living conditions and the conditions they died in. At the end of the meeting professor invited us to visit the place of Gypsies’ extermination in Auschwitz. This lesson made us think about the subject discussed and the time of the meeting wasn’t wasted for sure.
Our students visited the Tarnow Regional Museum that organised an important exhibition entitled "Gypsies in Polish Culture".To this day is probably the only one in the world on Romani Culture and history.
19
From 1 to 9 of May, students from France, Portugal and Spain met their colleagues in Poland. It was the second mobility of students of our project “Connecting Schools, Building Citizenship”
During the time in Rzeszów we celebrated an “Intercultural Festival”. Each school presented an example of its cultural heritage: songs, dances and legends occupied a place in the development of the festival. Traditional dances and songs from Poland
But also modern and Latin dance
From France beautiful songs and a multicultural dance
From Portugal the legend of Porto Salvo and some traditional songs
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Songs from Spain in the four official languages (Galician, Basque , Spanish and Catalan) and another in Portuguese for friends across the river Minho.
After the festival we could enjoy a cooking demonstration with products from the four countries. Students and teachers contributed traditional food : cheese , seafood , sweets , .which were eaten with great satisfaction.
21
Our French friend arrived in Lisbon on April 14th. The next day they came at school. Here we worked in our presentation. We enjoyed a lot learning surf together on the beach and then we visited the “Azulejo Museo” and had a “azulejo workshop” so we could manufacture our own tiles.
There was also time for cultural visits : Sintra and Pena Castle , the old Lisbon .
It was hard to say goodbye to our friends but we knew that we would meet soon in Poland
22
The international day of women in Poland is celebrated with flowers! There are no declarations, no protests for the equality. It is not a day to claim the women's rights; it is one day when streets are filled with flowers that men buy to their wives and fiancées and even friends. All men buy bunches of quite ornate flowers and no woman remains without them. If their boyfriends or husbands forget about it, women can get very annoyed! Besides flowers small gifts are also given and men send e-mail, smses with greetings to women on this day. The International Women's Day in Spain is a day to vindicate the rights of women because although there’s been significant progress for equality in Spain, particulary under the last Socialist government, the austerity measures since May 2010 and the policies of the current right wing government of Mariano Rajoy threaten to roll back gains.
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MULHER
A mulher não é só casa
mulher-loiça, mulher-cama
ela é também mulher-asa,
mulher-força, mulher-chama
E é preciso dizer
dessa antiga condição
a mulher soube trazer
a cabeça e o coração
Trouxe a fábrica ao seu lar
e ordenado à cozinha
e impôs a trabalhar
a razão que sempre tinha
Trabalho não só de parto
mas também de construção
para um filho crescer farto
para um filho crescer são
A posse vai-se acabar
no tempo da liberdade
o que importa é saber estar
juntos em pé de igualdade
Desde que as coisas se tornem
naquilo que a gente quer
é igual dizer meu homem
ou dizer minha mulher
Every day Women must be respected, no need of a special day to remember that.
Portuguese poets, musicians and singers have homaged them for centuries. Here is a
poem "Woman" ("Mulher") from Ary dos Santos, one of the most relevant names of the
Portuguese popular poetry of the 20th century (1937-1984) and a recent song "Tired"
("Cansada") composed and divulged in the Portuguese media these days. They sing to
remember that "one who loves you is not aggressive".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laVqVyU9vR8
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Portuguese students recall the times they lived together in the last two years with the "Connecting Schools, Building Citizenship" Comenius Project.
Ana Margarida Coelho: Comenius project in three words: Hard work, Unity and Adventure. Travelling with the class to nations never before seen by many, and meeting young people from other cultures, was the best part of the project. Cátia Pimentel: Meeting different cultures and different ways of being and living. Sharing moments with colleagues from Spain, France and Poland was unique and very fun. Many thanks to the project Comenius for giving us this wonderful experience.
Cristiano Cibrão: Many works were done where union and team spirit between colleagues excelled. Today I know some of them I can call "friends" and keep for life. It was the first class trip that we were all waiting for, where we would meet our colleagues from different nations. It was a week that will certainly remain in our memories, each day was lived as if the last one. The project Comenius was to me an enriching experience. Unforgettable moments where I met new peoples with different cultures. Works were done to learn the values of society. It was hard, laborious, but well worth it in the end. Cristina Figueiredo: We learned many ways of team work, and how fundamental it is. I met excellent people, truly friends for life, people with different cultures and ways of life. Communication, however, with my colleagues from other schools was the most difficult part. Diogo Alves: The project Comenius was good for the class, since it gave the opportunity to communicate with students from other nations through social networks. In these two years there many works were made on the cultures and ways of the integrating nations. Érica Gonçalves: When in Paris, the day before the last was my favorite. We were all in
25
a public square (Place du Trocadéro) singing and dancing and conversing with our colleagues, who are our friends today.The trip to Poland was very special. I had many expectations because it was a nation that I never thought to visit. It was a funny trip for the Polish people found us somewhat uncommon. Fábio Gonçalves: I would certainly be on the trip if it were not for my heart problem. I lost the reception to our French colleagues. I lost many things in those days. Still I admire this project, which gave the opportunity to make new friends, meet many new locations. This is why I give a high mark to this project, and may it never stop. Fabrício Spencer: The project Comenius was very interesting, wonderful, and the best experience of my life until now. We took photographs of the most beautiful avenue of the world, the Triumphal Arch of Paris. We went to the Eiffel Tower, to Disneyland and to the Louvre Museum. I fell in love with a French colleague, we strolled much, played and danced. The last day was sad because we had to say goodbye, but that is life. One year after I have the opportunity to go to Poland and the pleasure to know Kracow and Rzeszów, where we met again! Gonçalo Trigo: This project, with the works made and the trips, was the best, because each one from different nations got to know different cultures, food, among others. In the end I can say it
was a unique experience and unforgettable, something that was worth all the work we made. Iara Borges: I did not believe we were going to travel to Paris until the day came. The last day was moving, we got together, conversed, danced, got each other's Facebook. In Poland the best day was Thursday, the day before returning, when we showed our works, our dance, our song and our play. With the project's end I hope we all keep in touch.
Ivanildo Junior: We had the special visit of the French students. We shared many activities. It was a time very rich to be close of people from other cultures. The project Comenius was a way to make new friends and live in peace anywhere in the world . The contact with our colleagues remains. Melanie Pires: The project Comenius allowed us to meet other nations, see the great monuments, make friends, talk with other students and bond with colleagues from Spain, France and Poland.
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Nuno Galvão: My favorite works were those on the Gypsy communities and the "Boys and Girls roles". Potche Manessim: The project Comenius contributed, without doubt, to changing the vision and notion I had of Europe. By this adventure we bonded with other students, and, although the distance, we are still in touch, thanks to the social networks. I would have been good if our colleagues from Spain and Poland had also come to Portugal. Of the works we made my favorites were: "Bring back our girls" and "Homage to the Holocaust victims". I think our contribution was worth it. Ricardo Almeida: The project Comenius was a unique experience. We were well received, either in Aubervilliers or in Rzeszów, we saw new locations, learned new words and tried other foods.
Rodimila Miranda: The most interesting and fun part of this project was the interaction between students of different nations. Participating in the project Comenius was a true adventure. I
met new nations, new people from different cultures. The good of this project was that I learned teamwork and companionship spirit. Romina Rocha: The French students received us very well in their school. It was very good to converse with them, we got to know more of their traditions, it was an experience I will truly carry for life. The trip to Poland was doubtless another magnificent experience, we were very well received. The show set by the students from Poland in their school was very good, because it allowed us to see more of their traditions. The project Comenius opened a new future door to me. Rony Monteiro: The project Comenius broadened my horizons. Thanks to it I had the unique opportunity to meet Poland, a magnificent nation where the people suffered much in the past and with a very sad history. I saw new locations, made many friends, many of which will remain forever. Many of them differed in culture but we overcame the language barrier, which was one of the difficulties we had. Sara Raquel Cerqueira: We saw new things that were imprinted in our memories, such as Auschwitz-Birkenau, German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp, now Memorial and State Museum. We lived good moments, in France and in Poland, made great friends, and even more we showed we are united. We also want to say to the students of Spain, France and Poland that we thank them for all the
27
love and welcoming they gave us. For all the good moments we spent together we also say that, even though the distance, our friendships will endure! Sérgio Maocha: With this project we have the opportunity to spread a little of our Portuguese culture.One of the things I loved to do was to staged two of our many Portuguese legends to the professors and colleagues of Spain, France and Poland - "The Legend of Our Lady of Porto Salvo" and "The Legend of Barcelos Rooster". Ana Rita Assunção: I only came this year to the class of 12º C and well I was told of the Comenius project. I had no idea of what it was. I went to the lectures, to the trip preparation to Poland and tried to participate by the best way possible. On the reception welcome to the French students, who also integrated the project, I sang them the Lisbon Fado. It is my opinion that it was a project well elaborated in all and clearly done out of good will.
A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE:
Polish students
Oh… Whenever I recall my days
spent among participants of
Comenius on my cheeks flow drops
of sadness, then I look at my phone
and I see “Hi, how are you today” –
message from my lovely friends who
I met on the best of the project in my
life, then on my wet face appears
smile.
Comenius in my opinion is the best
way to make friends abroad. I met
wonderful students and teachers
from Spain, France and Portugal. I
could improve my English and
Spanish. Discover culture, customs,
even food from these countries. I
spent magical time with they in Paris
also in my city. It was fantastic.
In spite of finishing this sensational
international project, I wish met one
more time together. I want to
shout THANKS, it was
worthwhile!!!
Weronika Wallach
Our project is finished. What can I
say about it? Surely I can say that it
was great experience for me
because I could know new people,
their cultures and make friends. We
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spent a lot of time together for
talking, laughing, playing different
sports, singing and dancing that was
really amazing. We also could
practice languages which we’re
learning in the school. But the best
thing in this project was relation
which burned between us.
This project showed me though we
come from four other countries we
are almost the same, people from
France, from Spain, from Portugal
and from Poland, we like that same
music, that same movies, that same
pop-stars, we have similar
problems, love stories and a lot of
other things. And that was fantastic!
We wasn’t looking for somebody’s
external appearance but for his soul.
I hope that we’ll meet someday once
again.
Iza Rejment
The exchange was amazing. I
gained a best friend Alba, I better
speak spanish, I spent a great time,
I'm braver, I got to know a diffrent
culture, I tried new things and I
learned a lot.
Patrycja Tokarz
The last of student exchanges from
the project „Comenius” was in
Poland. It lasted about one week.
During this time we had a chance to
see our foreign friends met in Paris
once again and a lot of new people
from France, Spain and Portugal.
On Wednesday we were sightseeing
the castle in Łańcut and on
Thursday we organised a ‘culture
day’, when every group from the
project showed a presentation of
songs, dances and even a theatre
performance. After that everyone
could taste food from Poland, Spain,
France and Portugal.
This exchange was a big opportunity
to practise language skills, know
other cultures an – of course – make
new friends.
Monika Chmiel
I've been atending the Comenius
program since the first year in our
school. Obviously these 3 years
were full of work, but they were
absolutely worth it. It's been na
amazing experience to meet so
many people from other countries,
to talk to them and get to know
them. I'm really grateful for this
opportunity because thanks to the
Comenius I improved my English
and Spanish too. Moreover, I was so
lucky that I had a chance to visit
Paris. We spent there a week, and it
was probably one of the best in my
life. This year all the Comenius's
people came to Poland and it was
amazing to show them our city. We
were playing together and we were
spending time talking and laughing.
To sum up, I'm really thankful that I
had a chance to be a part of this
29
program. It was a wonderful
experience.
Paulina Polak
Last month the people from abroad
arrived to Poland. We could to meet
lot of gorgeus people and to know
better their culture. French and
Portuguese people slept in a hotel
and Spanish people lived in our
homes with us. We were preparing a
tradicional polish food for them.
Every day they could to see the
most important monuments and
beautiful place in our city. This was
really great time for me. I really want
to meet them again.
Syliwia Giełbaga
This year, during one week we
guested teenagers from Spain,
France and Portugal. On monday-
first day of their visit in Rzeszów I
met my new Spanish friend - Yaiza.
We went to my home to she can left
her luggage and later we went to
town square to welcome to each
other. On Thuesday they all first
time visited our school and later
went to city hall to meet president of
Rzeszów. Later, after dinner they
visited underground. Wednesday
was a day with a lot of
attraction. First we all went to Lańcut
castle and later we took a part in city
game. Next day we had in our
school celebrated international
party. We could listen to music from
every country, national dance and
later try typical national cuisine. On
Friday we had to say goodbye to
people from France and later we
spend nice time with Portugueses
by the river and after dinner we
farewell. On Saturday we all had
free time to spend it with spanish
people. For me Comenius was one
of the best things in my life. I met
new people and practised Spanish a
lot.
Karolina Staszewska
I took part in Comenius this year. I'm
so grateful to have this opportunity. I
loved it! It was a great experience
for me. I met a lot of new people
from other countries and I got to
know their cultures. One of the most
important thing which stems from
Comenius is that all of us could
improve both English and Spanish.
First part of Comenius was a trip to
Paris which, I think I like the most. It
was the best trip which I have ever
been on. It was a wonderful time!
A year later, those people who I met
in France, came to Poland. They
spent here about one week. We
were making a lot of different things.
For example, we went to the castle
in Lancut. Students from Poland
organised a field game which was a
great chance to visit some important
30
places in Rzeszow and spend time
with each other. In spite of bad
weather, we had fun.
Everybody was depressed when we
had to say goodbye to them.
I think that we will always remember
this students exchange and people
we met.
I wish I could meet them once again
because they were wonderful!
Agnieszka Kluz
In last month students from Spain,
Portugal and France visited
Rzeszów. On Monday they arrived
to Rzeszów and came with us to
houses and to the hotel. On
Tuesday they visited our school and
city hall. After that we came to
underground, which is on our town
square. On Wednesday we went to
the Castle in Łańcut. It really
beautiful. On Wednesday afternoon
we played city game. We had a lot
of fun during this event and our
guests had a possibility to know
Rzeszów better. On Thursday we
organized a international party in our
school. We could try snacks from
other countries and we could listen
to their typical music. On Friday we
spend time in park by the river
Wisłok. We played volleyball and
talked to each other. Later we had a
free time so we could spend it with
our friends.Unfortunately Saturday
was the end of our adventure, which
Comenius was for us. It was
amazing experience, and we're not
going to forget it for a long time.
Dagmara Olszewska
Last month took place amazing
adventure with friends from other
countries. Our polish school met
people from Spain, France and
Portugal.
I could cognize wonderful people
which culture is very interesting. We
told with them a lot.
At first day we were at Rzeszow
market where we could show
around foreigners our city.Second
day was more interesting becouse
of juant to Lancut.
Everyone visited wonderful
Potockich'castle.Later Poland
organized spiffy game for foreigners.
Next day was funny. We could taste
food from their countries. It was
such good idea. After eating it took
place e.g. karaoke and dance
. Everone was happy . Unfortunately
Friday was finishing day. We were
sad becouse pepole from Spain,
France and Portugal were close to
our hearts. At last hours we were
only talking and taking photos. This
day was rueful , but I hope I will see
these people once again ! :)
31
Natalia Obodyńska
Our meeting with people from Spain,
Portugal and France was fantastic!
Even at first day when we met them,
we had so much to say! Of course,
they told us about their culture and
we learned a lot their language.
They were teaching us for example
how to introduce ourselves or even
count to ten. They met our city, our
culture and our tradicion. We had
trip to Łańcut where they could see
how did the reach people lived in
19th century. Later, we organised
for them a game which demanded
running through our city and solving
riddles. Of course, we're all the
winners! On Thursday we could try
their dishes and it was really difficult
challenge. We spent many time
toegether and we were like family
for that week- and we still are. We
keep in touch all the time and I hope
that one day we'll meet toegether
again!
Wiktoria Paśkiewicz
It was the best week of my live.
When I met all these people from
France, Spain and Portugal I was
the happiest men in the world. It was
a great opportunity to improve my
English and Spanish. I learnt a lot
about different world, different
countries. I had a lot of fun during
sightseeing a castle in Łańcut. I
have never been there before so it
was great that we could do there. I
really liked the city game. We
showed our friends interesting
places in Rzeszów. There was so
much fun when suddenly started to
rain. We all got wet. But the best
part at all was that I made a lot of
new friends. I hope we will meet
again some day.
Aleksandra Juda
For me it was wonderful experience
to meet people frome another
countres and gain a knowleadge
about their culture and customs. It
was the time, when I could check
and improve my english and
spanish. it made me more open-
minded and helped me to make
friends with other people. it was
amazing for me and I'am glad i had
a chance to be a part of the
Comenius project
Pawel Skalski
For me it was amazing adventure. I
met too many people and they
became my best friends. I could get
to know the culture of different part
of Europe and check if my spanish
and english is good enough to talk
32
with people from other countries. It
was wonderful time with wonderful
people. I won't forget it to the rest of
my life.
Iza Górka
"Project Comenius gave me many
things.The most important thing is
that I met my friend from Spain.He's
my the best friend and I hope that I
met him again somewhere in the
world or I'll go to Spain.Now I can
only talk with him on Facebook or
Whatsapp but it's good too.Second
important thing and thing which is
need at every part in the world is
learning languages (English and
Spanish).Through we're talking each
other,we learnt a lot of
languages.Really important thing is
also that I met a lot of friends from
country like Portugal and Spain and
I thing that we'll continue our
friendship.If I have chance to take a
part in another project like
Comenius,I will take part in this for
certain.
Miron Modrakowski
Comenius gave me the opportunity
to meet new people and create new
friendships. Because of it I was able
to visit Paris (France) and see all of
the famous places and amazing
monuments. I improved my English
and Spanish too. It also allowed me
to learn about other culture. It was
the best experience ever!
Inga :)
Thanks to Comenius I could meet
amazing people, create new
friendships. It allowed me to visit
Paris and see cultures which are a
little bit different from mine.
Comenius also helped me to
practise speaking English and
Spanish. I really enjoyed this project
and every activities connected with
it.
Dominika Jedynak
Spanish students explain their
experience during the
“Connecing Schools, Building
Citizenship” Comenius Project
What did COMENIUS mean for
you?
It was a great experience, as I was
able to get to know young French,
Portuguese and Poles, and learn
about their cultures. I loved
becoming friends with people from
different countries, and being hosted
by a Polish family allowed me to
know their lifestyle, daily routines
and food more in depth. I think
projects of this kind should keep
running, as you can learn a lot and
they leave a mark in your heart.
Lara Cores Rodríguez
It was fantastic! Despite the
language barrier, we were able to
communicate and understand each
other perfectly. It helped me learn
33
how to interact with others, respect
other cultures, exchange ideas and
experiences, and discover new
places and customs.
Linda Percíncula Martínez
It was a unique experience. It
allowed me to interact with students
of different countries and I felt at
ease with them as we developed a
very warm relationship. I learned a
lot about new cultures and how to
interact better with people of other
countries and languages. All in all, it
was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
I would definitely participate again.
Sofía Caamaño Molina
I improved my English, learned
some Polish language and customs,
and to adapt to eating new things at
different eating hours. It offered me
the opportunity to discover new
places, meet new young people and
live together with people I didn’t
know before.
Alba Reboredo Piñón
I would like to point out several
things. First, the visit to Auschwitz
broke my heart. I still can’t figure out
how it all was possible. Also, the
Polish family made me feel at ease
from the beginning and made my
stay the best experience of my life.
Finally, I learned that you can make
friends even though they are
thousands of miles away.
Lucía García Carramal
I would highlight the friendship that
grew among all of us, the places we
discovered and the different culture.
It was a unique opportunity and I
hope to keep enjoying it and
learning from it.
Marta Fernández Abal
I learned that not everybody in the
world is mean. I was feeling really
lonely because of a mishap I’d had
with a fellow student, but in this
project I was able to get on well with
everybody. It was a unique
opportunity.
Silvia García Diéguez
My stay with the Polish family was
great. I felt really comfortable and
had to get to grips with my “poor”
English. I learned how to
communicate in other languages
and that I don’t need to be
surrounded by many technological
devices.
Diego Fuentes Castiñeira
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I loved participating in the Comenius
project because I made many good
friends with students from other
countries and because I learned
how to get by without my parents,
out of home. I found the project very
interesting.
Catalina Alarcón Torres
I liked it because of the many things
I learned, all the friends I made, and
because I lived together with
another family in another country. I
practiced my English a lot and I am
very happy to have collaborated with
the COMENIUS project against
discrimination and inequality.
Alejandro Días López
It was a very positive experience, as
I met people from many places, and
I learned to be more careful and less
blunt. Also, I found out that I can
communicate well in English.
Brian Franco Gulías
I learned ethic values in my visit to
Auschwitz, a lot of Polish history,
and words in Polish, French and
Portuguese, but above all, I learned
that you don’t have to speak the
same language, have the same
customs or live near to make very
good friends, as what’s best is to
meet people in other places in the
world.
Yaiza Iglesias García
It was a special, unforgettable
experience. I went to a country
where I had nothing and I came
back with a lot of friends, knowing
very different things and realising
that not everybody has the same
lifestyle. It made me more
responsible and taught me to be
more respectful when living
together. COMENIUS changed my
life.
Antía Torres González
To be honest, I am very shy and had
some difficulty in getting to know the
foreign students, but the time I spent
with them was great, and watching
them leave was very hard. I learned
a lot, especially in our visit to
Auschwitz.
Sonia Rey Caldas
I learned to interact better with
people from other countries and
cultures, and also to live together
with people I didn’t know but who
have become a part of my life since
Comenius.
Amanda Rial González
35
I learned to interact with other
people despite not speaking the
same language, and to value the
teachers’ great job.
Andrés Picallo Galante
It was an unforgettable experience
that will leave a mark upon our lives.
Thanks to all the friends for being so
kind and accepting us the way we
are, and to the teachers for making
the project possible.
Borja Piñeiro Aboy
I discovered new ways of cooking,
new food, new customs, etc. I also
learned that you don’t need to speak
the same language to make friends,
and that distance isn’t enough to set
friends and hearts apart.
COMENIUS allowed us to live an
incredible and unforgettable
experience.
Noelia Rey Rodríguez
Apart from many other things, I
learned to be more careful and
responsible. I am glad to have
participated in COMENIUS.
Zoe Bugallo Casas
I found it an incredible experience.
You learn lots of things: different
customs, different languages, but
above all, you learn how to live
together and accept the different.
Sometimes we tend to reject what is
not mainstream, but if we give it an
opportunity, we can not only like it,
but it can actually change our lives.
As we were students from four
countries, I learned that nothing is
better than diversity.
Carla Martínez Martínez.
Perfect, I now have a loving family in
Poland. The best thing about
COMENIUS is to learn that
teamwork helps us reach our goals.
Alba Martínez Espiña
I discovered the culture of several
countries, learned to interact with
people of different places, put
myself in their shoes, live together
with them, take control of my quirks,
and I also improved my English. I
think COMENIUS is a wonderful
thing that helps us to learn and grow
as a person.
Nerea Sanmartín Blanco
I think I would embark on such an
experience again, as you discover
new cultures, but you also learn how
to interact with other people
speaking different languages, and to
be more independent.
Alba Corredoira Piay
36
I learned to mingle with people who
have different cultures, customs and
lifestyles.
Nerea Fernández Suárez
I learned the meaning of words that,
without realising it, I didn’t
understand before: fellowship,
respect, friendship, diversity.
María Arboleda Ramírez
Above all, I learned how to mingle
with people from other countries.
COMENIUS allowed us to travel
with our friends, to work in teams
and to discover other cultures,
countries and people.
Elizabeth González Feijóo
37
By Alba Lorenzo
I would like to put forward a
personal reflection on what the
participation in COMENIUS meant
to me, especially the “Meeting in
Rezesów” with the Polish, French
and Portuguese students, and the
activities we carried out together.
One of my favourite visits was the
salt mines in Wieliczka, a UNESCO
World Heritage site. I also enjoyed
the one to Wawel Castle, as we had
plenty of free time. However, despite
it being hard and sad, the visit to
Auschwitz was the most fruitful one:
you need to know the past to protect
the future.
The visit to Auschwitz was the
toughest part of the meeting. I was
actually a bit ashamed because I
couldn’t stop crying the whole time
we were there. Our guide explained
it as normal as can be, and I
couldn’t understand how there could
be people capable of inflicting so
much suffering to another human
being and then killing them, and why
we don’t even know their names.
Despite the horror, it was a
necessary visit, and I think I can
speak on behalf of every student
and teacher in saying that knowing
about all that pain has changed us
significantly.
However, I would also like to
highlight my relationship with my
guest Polish family, the
Lewandowskas. They made their
best so that I felt like at home. They
made up the room for me, and the
parents, who didn’t speak much
English, made an effort to
communicate with me.
The relationship with the other
students, Polish, French and
Portuguese, was fantastic. We
made a lot of friends. It was as if we
knew each other a lifetime. We left
Poland with more friends and a big
family.
I would definitely participate in
another COMENIUS project a
thousand more times. Apart from
discovering places and meeting new
people, we built strong ties with our
teachers and fellow students. It was
a truly fruitful and transforming
experience.
I learned to value more my friends
and teachers, to realise that the rain
isn’t enough to spoil a perfect day,
that distance is only an excuse for
those who are scared, friends aren’t
made with a language but with a
heart, and home is not a place but a
feeling.
Four words could summarise my
experience: magic, experience,
opportunity and discovery.
38
EQUAL IN DIFFERENCE
The Comenius Programme has
allowed me to get to know
youngsters from France, Portugal
and Poland, thus discovering that
beyond language, habits and
custom differences, the European
young share many values: equality,
tolerance, interculturalism,
environmental awareness…, and
these can provide us with the
cornerstone of a Europe of people,
of citizens, resting upon human
rights respect and able to address
the major challenges of a complex
and changing world.
I have also understood that the
failure of pacific relationships on an
equal plane led to dreadful and
dramatic events in Europe: armed
conflicts and especially the
“Holocaust”, where delirium, racism
and dictatorship took over to write
one of the darkest pages of
European history. However, I also
learnt that we cannot allow this to
happen again, and that the respect
and protection of individuals must be
above any economic, national,
religious, ethnic or other interest.
Therefore, I would like to point at the
worrying lack of initiative the EU is
showing in the migrant and refugee
crisis. A Wall of Shame is being
erected in Hungary and refugees
who are fleeing countries at war are
coming up against police officers,
soldiers, barbed wires, xenophobe
and racist attacks and shelters on
fire instead of the asylum they are
seeking. On the other hand,
migrants are confronting on-the-spot
deportations, death risk in the
Mediterranean, misery, contempt…
Consequently, I would like to make
a call upon the European young so
that we do not turn a blind eye to the
problem. We must stand up for
these people and the values that
served “as a basis for European
construction”.
Lucía García, Alba Reboredo,
Antía Torres y Sofía Caamaño
39