2/24/2013

« Eco-supportive ?-Yes, we can ! »



The last action to help the « Green Flag » Ugandan school (Saint-Aloysius Primary School in Mbarara) took place in Collège Saint-Barthélemy, Liège-Belgium in December 2012 : we raised 1500€!

I sent the money at the beginning of this month (February 2013) and I got a message from Gordon, telling me they got it and were so happy. They have already begun the foundations for the second water tank and he will send some photos later…

I think we can be proud of helping those courageous African pupils and teachers especially during the World Year of WATER Cooperation...Let us not forget than more than one billion of people in the world don’t have access to drinkable water!

ASANTE SANA! = thank you very much! (in Kiswahili)

Mrs. Francoise Goorissen

Romanian, Portuguese and Belgian Students' Impressions on Thessaloniki, Greece


We would like to thank, from the bottom of our heart, for the really special experiences we participated to, within a framework where the human being was able to keep the relationship with nature. It all the times reminds us that what we received must be sent to the ones to come, the every generation’s responsibility is even bigger and it can’t be dealt with only in case of a unity in thinking, as much as possible, and of developing desirable behaviours as far as the environment is concerned.
The activities of the project reunion strengthened our belief expressed by a Romanian proverb: „Man sanctifies the place”.  Because this is the feeling that we had when visiting each of the places in Greece and interacting with the Greek teachers and students. They impressed us with their hospitality, with the way they appreciate  their civilization, in perfect agreement with natural values awareness, with their aim to underline everything we all have most beautiful and best.
                 Aristotle said that „friendship is a soul in two bodies or a heart in two souls.” It is what the team from the Greek school managed to do, unifying us into friendship, all our efforts to plead for a nature to continue to exist through everything we do, regardless the different languages we speak or the cultures we belong to.
                                                   The Romanian Team in Thessaloniki, Greece

In the beginning of this school year we heard about this Commenius Project. We talked with our teachers about it and they explained us that the motto was to take care of our beautiful planet therefore we decided to get in and help as much as we were able to.
Some months later, more precisely at 27th January, it was our turn to make a trip. This time the meeting was in Thessaloniki, Greece.
 We have to say that we felt truly welcoming since the first day when we arrived at the Airport and everyone was hugging us, even if they didn´t know us, until the last second when we had to say goodbye.
It was one of the best weeks of our life. Everyone was so nice, so kind… We went to a museum, to waterfalls and we visited the city. It was just wonderful. We met people that we will never forget, made strong and lifetime friendships, learnt their language, their culture and we are beyond grateful for that.
At the last day before we came back to Portugal we went to a theater and we present our play. It was about the environment and we mixed that with some humor. It was really funny. Everyone was laughing but at the same time we could transmit a really deep message. The plays showed what we can do to change the situation of the Earth and it showed too that we have to do something because the problems won’t be resolved by themselves: we have to change for a better world.
This is what we could take from this week: This lesson and the friendships. We will never forget this experience; We will keep the country and all the people in our heart forever because it´s “my memories, your memories and our memories”!
                                                           The Portuguese Team in Thessaloniki, Greece
 

"Our stay in the North of Greece was very interesting and an unforgettable experience! We discovered a beautiful country and nice lanscapes : the incredible waterfalls of Edessa, the ancient city of Thessaloniki or simply the coast and its blue sea...We appreciated the culture, different from ours in many ways, like the timetables that were sometimes difficult, the delicious food (we would like to have some recipes!), the traditional dance we learned with a lot of pleasure and honour (and pride too because we could show off in front of our friends!)...We met a lot of people and made new friends we keep in contact with and we hope we'll meet them again...one day!Who knows?

This adventure gives us the desire to go on travelling, meeting people and discovering new cultures.
THANK YOU for everything! EFKARISTO for making our stay so great!"

Liselore, Chloé, Axel and François

2/10/2013

Questionnaire on the Meeting in Thessaloniki


Dear students that participated in the Comenius eco-project in Thessaloniki, 


 

It is important for us to know your opinion about the meeting in Thessaloniki. Did the visit meet your expectations? Did you enjoy this experience?

Please fill in the online form on the following webpage:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/129s2IDR93J0HVutBNV7lKx8pmwVhFqYciNNHs9L2bFs/viewformsid=6f783adff230a519&token=fk5LxDwBAAA.dEbrmtSeGgHRIsfxs7uLRg.SaruXhaosLHqdYOBK513wQ

Thanking you for your feedback!  

Isabel Barbosa
Comenius Coordinator, Portugal

2/08/2013

The Greek Team's Impressions on Thessaloniki


In order to properly chronicle that eventful week, it is necessary to keep in account the individual experiences and sentiments of each member of the Greek team. Indeed, those may vary and, at times, contradict one another, yet it is utterly plausible that some are mutual, representing a multitude of students. One thing is certain, though; everyone, despite their exhaustion, has gained something valuable. Now, defining that ‘something’ is up to each person. Some might have had the opportunity to brush up and enhance their skills in the English language; others might have made new friends...
     More to the point, each activity offered us the gifts of companionship, unity and friendship, along with a sense of intimacy. The members who hosted foreign students, in particular, have felt the aforementioned intimacy at an even greater degree; making someone with whom you’re not at all familiar part of your family for a week can have such an effect. The tour around Thessaloniki gave us plenty of time to chat and to get to know each other, as did the lengthy bus trips to and from the American Farm School and Edessa. Concisely, each excursion was unique; from tree plantations to getting soaked by a waterfall, these little points in the journey of that week will remain unforgettable.
     Thursday’s presentation went swimmingly as well. All five delegations did a wonderful job on presenting their works, and the variety of material showcased prevented the audience from tiring or losing interest. The Power Point presentations provided us with fascinating information and the more artistic, creative side of what each team had to show us was an absolutely enthralling delight.
     Even our non-scheduled outings (‘our’ pertaining to us, the students) were also quite enjoyable, for our fellow Comenius members were able to get a taste of the multiple activities and entertainment options available in our city.
     In conclusion, and I hope I speak true for the entirety of the Greek Comenius team, we are thankful for gracing us with your works, your personalities. We are grateful for having the chance to experience different cultures. We wish you had an equally great time as we did.

  Sofia Charalompopoulou (on behalf of all the Greek students)