Best of Hungary (by students from IES Julio Caro Baroja - GETXO)

Trip to Budapest:

The student exchange to Budapest was really exciting, surprising and educational. We learnt a lot about Hungarian culture and about the city of Budapest.

We first saw our partners in the airport, where they were waiting for us with their families. They took us home, and after dinner we went sightseeing.

On Sunday morning we went bowling together. Afterwards we went into the city centre to discover the most important landmarks in Budapest. The Hungarian students had prepared information for us about each landmark. We walked across the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, and then visited the Castle District, in Buda. The view was amazing because we could see the other half of the city (Pest). Whilst we were in the Castle District we had a treasure hunt. We also had the opportunity to see the Danube by night.

Monday was our first day at the school. The Hungarian students showed us a video they had prepared about the city, and afterwards we went to a few lessons (Spanish, English and Chemistry). These lessons were really interesting because we were able to take part in some Chemistry experiments, as well as exchange information about our country (Basque Country). In the evening we had a concert with a Hungarian folk band. They played some traditional Hungarian music and taught us how to dance. We had dinner at the school. Each family had prepared some traditional Hungarian food, which was very delicious and also very different from the cuisine in Spain.

On Tuesday we visited Eger, a town over two hours away from Budapest. It is an old town that has a lot of history. We visited the castle and learnt about the invasion of the Turks. We also visited a college to take part in some Physics experiments and to use the camera obscura.

Best of Hungary 

On Wednesday morning we met outside the Opera House and then went to Heroes’ Square. In addition, we saw the Turkish baths and visited the Millennium Castle. We had the opportunity to try some typical Hungarian food such as Langos and Salted Pretzels. In the afternoon we returned to school to work on our projects.

On Thursday morning we visited the House of Terror Museum. It turned out to be a very educational and shocking experience. It was hard for us to learn about how Hungary has suffered in recent times (Nazi occupation and Communist dictatorship). Thursday was also presentation day. We invited students from English classes in the school to see our presentations. They were very interested in learning about our culture. In the evening we went to Aquaworld, a water park on the outskirts of Budapest. We all had a really good time together.

On Friday we were taken to the Parliament building. We were given a guided tour and learnt lots about the history of Hungary (monarchy and transition to a republic). The interior was incredible because of its Neo-Gothic style. In the evening we had a farewell party, where we played games and danced together. Our host families prepared some more food for us to try – especially traditional Hungarian desserts! After the party we spent some time together (without teachers!) before we had to leave on the Saturday.

Saying goodbye to our host families was very difficult. We were very emotional when we parted ways at the airport. However, we are really looking forward to seeing our partners again in March!

News from Johannes-Kepler-Gymnasium (Garbsen - Germany)

For many people  a  picture has only got a cultural or artistic value; for the students of the Student Exchange to Izmir (Turkey) or to Bergen (Norway), every picture is a deep feeling of the days lived together with new European friends from European Schools.

Europe starts at schools. Europe starts where young people meet and forget nationalities, and share the best of them.
Below, we can enjoy part of the life of students from Johannes-Kepler-Gymnasium during their Exchange in Izmir and Bergen.

Bilateral Meeting in Bergen (Norway)

Comenius Bilateral Meeting in Izmir (Turkey)

News from Budapest in the Bilateral meeting, by Dóra Bakos and Emese Szakály

Thanks to the Comenius Project we could participate in a Spanish student exchange program. Its first round started on the 22^ndof November in 2013, when the Spanish group arrived at Liszt Ferenc Airport. We took them home, had dinner, and then we did something with our family, such as walking on the bank of the Danube in the lights or going to the circus.

On Saturday in the morning we went bowling together and afterwards we walked in the city to see our unique sights. We stopped at each attraction, where one of the Hungarian students shared with the rest of us some information about it. After crossing the Danube on the Chain Bridge, we visited the Castle District.

On Monday we spent our day at the school. We prepared a worksheet with questions about our secondary school and showed a video about Budapest. Subsequently the Spanish students visited an English or a Spanish lesson, and we saw some spectacular experiments in the Chemistry laboratory. For dinner we had goulash soup. During the evening a folk dance group joined us and taught us some easier steps. For dinner every Hungarian student brought some kind of salad or cake. Besides this we prepared for the evening with some games and taught them a Hungarian folk song, called ‘Márminálunkbabám’. At the end of the evening we had some more time to dance, as well.

On Tuesday we visited the city of Eger, where we saw the castle, the camera obscura and the Dobó square, too. It was a long day; we arrived at the school only late in the evening.

On Wednesday we met in front of the Opera, from where we walked to Heroes’ Square. Íon the way there we saw the Zoo and Vajdahunyad Castle. Having arrived at the school, the boys went to play football and the girls played volleyball. Afterwards we went upstairs to work on our projects.

On Thursday in the morning we visited the House of Terror to see a historical series of exhibitions. It was really shocking for all of us. Subsequently we went to the school to give presentations to some English groups about Basque and Hungarian festivals. During the night we went to the Aquaworld to everybody’s satisfaction.

On Friday we started at the Parliament, where a tour guide talked about the building and its history. At the school we showed the rest of the presentations to our schoolmates. In the afternoon we went to the city to buy some souvenirs. In the evening there was a farewell party with games, music, and dancing.

On Saturday we gave a lift to our exchange partners and saw them off.

News from Norway: Bilateral meeting

From Olsvikåsen Upper Secondary School with love

On Saturday 16th November 17 German students and teachers arrived at Flesland airport in Bergen. The Norwegian students and their families were waiting impatiently. Saturday evening and Sunday were spent in the various host families. The host families were eager to show the guests our beautiful city. 

On Monday morning, our new friends were greeted by our headmistress, Mrs.Inger-LiseThorstensen. We started off with some ice-breaking games and a guided tour around our school. Before lunch, the students were introduced to the project. After lunch the students continued working in the suggested groups. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday followed pretty much the same pattern. In the morning the students had either breakfast at home or at school. Olsvikåsen offers breakfast for all our students during the school year. The German students and their Norwegian host students were also offered free lunch every day that week. 

A Research of National and European Landmarks.

During the week, the students were working on the first stage of our project which was to compare holidays in Germany and in Norway. This is what the groups were working on:

1.       Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

2.       May 1^st and Midsummer.

3.       Remembrance Day and Easter.

4.       Holocaust and New Year’s Eve.

5.       Reformation Day, Fastelaven and Halloween.

6.       Christmas and St Nicholas’ Day.

7.       Unification Day and17th of May

Wednesday was our excursion day and a day off from the project and school and allowed our students to relax a bit. We had planned to walk up the mountain to Fløyen, but the weather can be unpredictable this time of year (actually all year). We therefore decided to go to Bergen Science Center,VilVite, where we tried out the different activities and exhibitions.

 After enjoying our packed lunch, we continued to Bergen Aquarium where we watched the penguins and sea lions being fed outside. Indoors there are numerous exhibitions of spiders, snakes, lizards, crocodiles, life at sea in the North and the shark tunnel.

We knew that it was going to be quite busy the following day. The groups presented their work in the English classes at school. Both the German and Norwegian students were a bit nervous, but they all agreed that it was good training for them to speak in public. It was also important to make the project more visible to the rest of the school. After lunch it was time to present the projects and the results of their findings to the rest of the Comenius group. For the German and Norwegian teachers involved, it was interesting to see how they had managed to solve the tasks. All in all, the presentations were good. We see, however, that especially the Norwegian students have a challenge concerning presentations without a script. In the future, we would also like to see more in-depth project work. 

We think we can safely say that the highlight of the week was National Eve on Thursday. The evening started with an exquisite platter of typical Norwegian food carefully prepared by a chef that came exclusively for this event. Some of the delicious food that was on the menu: fish soup, smoked salmon and reindeer. After the lovely dinner, our German guests entertained us with a quiz. Olsvikåsen has got a house band of teachers that had agreed to play a selection of songs.
Towards the end of the evening, the Norwegian students had a quiz and presented a Norwegian Folk dance. Some of the girls wore their national costume, bunad, and also explained the history and tradition attached to their costumes.

Norway - Germany Bilateral Meeting. 2013

On Friday, it was time to say good bye. The German students brought their suitcases to school and were driven to the airport. In March it is our turn to visit our German friends in Garbsen, and we are looking forward to itJ.

Here is a direct link to the Olsvikåsen’s web page: http://olv.hfk.no/templates/SchoolSubsite.aspx?id=42886

News from Turkey

Diary: 

Wednesday, 20.11.2013 – Ephesus, Virgin Mary and trip to Sirience

On Wednesday at 8.00 am, we meet at school. We were all very excited because we wanted to go on a field trip.

From the school we drove one and a half hour to the House of the Virgin Mary. On the way, we had a stop to have breakfast. After one and a half hour, we arrived at the House of the Virgin Mary. There we visited her house and drank from the sacred spring. Subsequently, we drove to Ephesus. This is a four-thousand-year-old city, with two amphitheaters, a big library and many houses. It was very interesting and we had a lot of fun exploring the ancient streets, houses and sites. Later we saw one of the seven world wonders, the Temple of Artemis. After that we made a trip to Sirience. That is a little village in the mountains, where we went for shopping or ate some traditional Turkish food.

Finally, we drove back to school by bus. It was a funny bus drive that was shorter than we thought. He listened to Turkish music and danced on way back to Izmir. After arriving at school, we drove back home. It was a very good day.

- Rebecca

News from Turkey

Diary (2)

Sunday, November 17^th 2013

Sunday was the best day of the whole week. My mum and I came to school early in the morning to pick up my beauty partner. I was so excited. I met my partner after having only conversation via Internet. Jacki was very excited, too. We talked all the way home.

After having breakfast, we walked to the beach. We went to Karsiyaka and then we met Öykü and Wencke. We sat in the café for a coffee. We went home together and slept after having a shower at 19.30. 

I don’t want her to go back to Germany . All the time they are saying nice words to us. I think they are pleased to meet us. Jacki wants to become a member of our family. She is my sister from now on. I hope Jacki is happy being my exchange partner. We had a very good time together and I hope to have good time… 

Germans are really excellent people for me.

- Duygu sema ince 

Views and Experiences in Poland with Comenius

Poland Thoughts, by Sherry Wilson

Traveling from Spain to Poland was a journey, and I could sense the students’ excitement growing as we switched from bus, plane, plane, and then finally our last bus. We were almost in Poland, on the verge of crossing the German border, and then I began to hear whispers from the students. Their excitement was turning into nervousness, and they began to worry about the details of their week in Poland. Earlier they were clapping every thirty minutes to celebrate their traveling, but now they whispered questions to each other, ”How should I greet them? A hug? Two kisses?” I told the students not to be nervous, but deep down I was nervous for them. While the students may only see me as their teacher, I am not too far removed from their roles. I’m a native New Yorker, and I’ve been living in Spain for the last two months. Six months ago I was a student just like them, and two months ago I made the dramatic change of moving to Spain. While the students worried about speaking English in Poland with their Polish families and partners, I was also worried for them. This was a complete immersion in the English language for a full week, and communicating in a foreign language is HARD. I am only a few years older than my students and I struggle with the language barrier in Spain. I had never been to Poland, I don’t know anybody who had ever been to Poland, nor did I know any words in Polish, but I was excited for a new adventure courtesy of my time in Spain.

While I was excited to spend a week in Poland, I was more interested in seeing my students utilize their English skills. As I listened to my students voice their worries out loud, I thought about how proud of them I was. The students worried about their English skills, but I was merely happy that they were so willing to step outside of their comfort zones. To be honest, I was almost in awe of these young teenagers so willing to adapt to new changes. I wish I had taken an opportunity like this when I was their age. Americans like me aren't often given opportunities to travel to other countries in order to learn about different cultures and their traditions. As a teacher, it made me quite proud to see my students adapting to Polish culture, but also making the effort to work with other students in English. While there are many differences between Basque and Polish culture, the Comenius project is an great method of bringing cultures and countries closer, especially for young students.

Views and Experiences in Września (Poland) with Comenius

My favorite part of my trip to Poland were the people I met. I was able to work closely with all of the students -Polish and Basque- and I was proud to see them adjusting so well to new changes and a new environment. Spending a week in Poland showed me how much we can learn from each other´s cultures, but also what we can learn from our students and their open mindedness to change and new cultures.

Bilateral Meeting in Hungary: Final Thoughts

By Hannah Roscoe, 

IES Julio Caro Baroja BHI Comenius Language Assistant.

When I first sat down to write this ‘final thoughts’ article I had no idea how to describe my experience. I’m extremely lucky because I was able to see the exchange from several different viewpoints, each one having had its own impact on my final thoughts. There is, however, one viewpoint that stands out more than any other. For those of you who don’t know, I study languages at university in the UK. I’m currently in my third year, which I have to spend abroad in the countries where my languages are spoken. The exchange with Hungary and Poland allowed our students to travel to a foreign country, live with a foreign family, and practice a foreign language. I was so happy to be there whilst they experienced that, because it’s exactly what I am experiencing right now in Spain. For them to have an opportunity like this is incredible. I had to wait until I was 21!

To be completely honest, when I first heard about the trip to Hungary and Poland I had no idea what to expect. It was the first time that I had the chance to take part in an exchange programme, so I had no previous experience to relate to. But it certainly wasn’t something I was going to turn down. When you are presented with an opportunity to travel to new and exciting places you’d have to be crazy to say no! It didn’t take long for me to decide that Hungary was the place for me, and I can’t find the words to describe how right I was.

I had the most amazing company in Carlos and the students (most of whom I teach at the school). We spent an unforgettable week in Budapest and it will always have a special place in my memory. Summing up how incredible the trip was is going to be difficult, but here goes…

As you can expect, we did a lot of sightseeing whilst we were there. Some of the most important sites we visited included the Houses of Parliament, the Castle District as well as Heroes’ Square. There were also opportunities for us to learn a little bit about Hungarian history; especially in the House of Terror Museum. This visit proved to be both an eye opening and shocking experience for everybody. As a teacher I was able to do even more things when the students were with their Hungarian partners. Carlos and I were treated to dinner almost every night, meeting people who will remain firm friends. We also visited the National Gallery for an exhibition on Impressionism and were spoilt with a trip to the theatre. Time well spent!

But it wasn’t just fun and games – the students were there for a more important reason. The objective of this exchange was to share information; more specifically, information about how festivals are celebrated in different countries in the European Union. The students had several workshops during the week where they had to compile information about festivals in both countries. They then worked in groups to prepare PowerPoint presentations explaining what similarities and differences they had found between Spain and Hungary. This activity proved to be extremely useful for me as well as for the students. I had no idea what Aste Nagusia was when I arrived in Spain, but I can now say with confidence that I know absolutely everything about it.

Hannah Roscoe's Final Thoughts

Obviously the common language of the exchange was English. For me it wasn’t a challenge as I am a native speaker. I am very proud of our students for practicing their English as much as they did, and for trying their best to improve their skills. I know how difficult it is to be thrown in at the deep end and I am very happy that they enjoyed their time in Hungary as much as I did, and as much as I am enjoying my time in Spain.

Bilateral Meeting in Thessaloniki, Greece

Our Comenius week started on Sunday with an excursion to Vergina and Litochoro.

The first is home to a museum which contains the tomb of King Philipp, Macedonian king and father of Alexander the Great. He died in 336 B.C.

We were lead by a tour guide who showed us many of the precious artefacts which were found when the tomb was discovered in 1977.

The latter, Litochoro, is the closest village to the Olympus mountain range. After a short walk towards the peak we all had a fantastic meal in a local tavern.

On Monday morning, we started to work on the project. The cooperation between the students was good, as you can see in the pictures.
Later that day, the German students were given the opportunity to visit an English lesson at the host school. They were warmly welcomed by the non-Comenius students in the class.

Project work commenced on Tuesday. On that day, the students received caps and rucksacks from the local Goethe Institut.
They were so excited about it that they posed for yet another group picture, ;-)

After the last project work session on Wednesday morning, we embarked on a bus tour through the city of Thessaloniki.

The starting point was the so-called White Tower, which is now grey. Having completed the tour, we walked along the inner-city seashore towards one of the many beautiful Byzantine churches.

The presentation of the national holidays was scheduled for Thursday morning.  The students presented the results of their bilateral group work. The presentations included many interesting facts which helped to understand each other's culture and heritage.

Bilateral Meeting in Thessaloniki

Still to come: the highlight of the week, the National Evening.

BILATERAL MEETING IN POLAND

 At 8:30 on Monday morning we came to school and started the Comenius Project after a warm greeting from the Headmaster. 

First, to get to know each other, we did a presentation of Polish 

and Spanish people using games or matching unknown people from 

our two countries.

         After that, we divided into groups to work, designing our posters and creating powerpoints. The local TV came to interview us.

         In the afternoon, we went to McDonald´s and finally we went to the ``AQQ club´´ to dance and finish a beautiful day. 

OnTuesday the first thing we did in the morning was a treasure hunt. We looked for ten things all over Wrzesnia, our town, to win the competition.

We worked on the project, and all the groups finished with the powerpoints, the posters and the documents to give the presentation. After that a local newspaper come to interview some of us. In the evening when we left school, we all went bowling for a hour, then we went to have dinner to a restaurant where we ate hamburgers and pizza.

On Wednesday  we had a trip. At first we visited a Factory of Christmas balls in Gniezno. There each of us got a christmas ball with our names. After that we went to visit Toruń. Later we went to a restaurant and had pancakes. Then we went to a special museum where we baked and dekorated gingerbreads. Finally we could buy some souvenirs and then we came back to Września. Except of bad weather everybody were in good mood.

On Thursday morning we finished the presentations and then we showed them in front of the rest of the Comenius participants. 

     After lunch we started to work in new groups writing a report for our website, making a photo show, creating a presentation about the Comenius Project, preparing an evalution  form and writing a blog. 

     In the evening we took part in the National Evening prepared mainly by Polish students. We tasted some traditional Polish food made by parents, tried to say some Polish tongue twisters, watched a photo show and had good fun together.

     On Friday morning we finished our work. Then we went to the domatory to listen to our headmaster´s goodbye. Also the Spanish people got some gifts from the major of our province. It was a great suprise for them and an opportunity to take the last photo of our group in Poland. 

     All of us enjoyed the stay in Poland so now we are looking forward to our meeting in Spain.

Bilateral Meeting in Poland (Nov. 2013)

Comenius 2013-2014: Bilateral Meeting

Our eight participant countries in the current Comenius Project -France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Turkey, Spain-The Basque Country- are having the Bilateral Meetings  in Greece, Hungary, Norway, Poland and Turkey from November 18th to November 22nd.

They all have previously worked hard in their schools sharing information among binational teams. At present all the students are looking forward to the date that will let them meet and share not only their sense of being Europeans but also a life experience.

In the following Power Point we can see the students from these countries posing for the picture or preparing activities.

Comenius Binational Meetings 2013

Greetings from The Basque Country (Spain)

Our Comenius Project is on.

After the Preparatory Meeting in Norway held by the teachers from 7 countries, a lot of students became interested in taking part in the project. They  listened to the teachers' information  in the conference room before taking a decision.
Parents also had a meeting at school to collect relevant information about the Bilateral Meetings in Poland and Hungary and give their permission.

Wedsnesday after Wedsnesday 30 students have an appointment to carry out the different tasks of the projects.
In the following ppt. you can see the preparatory activities.

Comenius 2013 Basque Country-Spain from J. Carlos Martínez

Teachers' Meeting in Norway

From September 23rd to 27th teachers from

France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Spain-The Basque Country and Turkey are holding a meeting  in Bergen (Norway) in order to prepare the Comenius Project for the current school year. 

The Norwegian High School  Olsvikasen videregaende skole has generously offered to receive this multinational staff of teachers who will be working for the next  two years on the project:

                                     "Our Identity: National and European?
                            A Research of National and European Landmarks." 

Comenius Preparatory Meeting in Bergen (Norway) 2013-2014 from J. Carlos Martínez

In the above ppt. we can see the multinational staff of teachers during the Preparatory Meeting in Bergen.

European Landmarks 13, Passion for being Europeans

More than 20 years  have we been working on European Projects from schools of different countries  through COMENIUS.

At present, our Comenius Team and Project consists of eight countries:

 France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Spain-The Basque Country and Turkey.

There are lots of things to be done and to be lived. 

Everybody is ready for it!