Greek-Turkish bilateral meetings

The Greek Comenius team wishes to come in contact with as many partners as possible as our national agency encourages to do so. We proposed to our Spanish, Polish and Turkish colleagues to organise extra bilateral meetings in order to exchange our experiences about the Comenius programme and also exchange our ideas and techniques in teaching and compare our educational systems. We would like to thank both the Spanish and the Polish partners for trying to find ways to realise these meetings. A number of problems though occured like examinations, holiday breaks and there was no time left. Fortunately, Turkey was positive to our request and we successfully organised two meetings, one in Izmir and another one in Thessaloniki. We are very glad to show you the outcome and we hope we will have the chance to work with the rest of you in the future.

1st Meeting in Izmir 26 March-2 April

We reached Izmir on Thursday 26 March, late in the afternoon. We visited the Turkish school three times and we were warmly welcomed by our colleagues with a poster with Turkish-Greek-English phrases. They had prepared many presentations for us about their Comenius products, traditional costumes, their educational system and their school. They had also cooked traditional dishes and they exhibited the custom of the henna night, the night before the wedding at the bride's house. A student played the saz for us and we were also invited to plant friendship trees in the schoolyard. The headmaster was very kind to take us out for dinner and we exchanged souvenirs and gifts. Last but not least, the art teacher gave us a marbling lesson and we all left Turkey with our little masterpieces in our luggage, but most important of all, we left knowing we have made new friends.

1st Meeting Photos
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1XaU3_7yDicUrj815ld_n3JsuKXTqd1cRTVI8SN6UOnU/edit?usp=sharing

2nd Meeting in Thessaloniki 24 -28 April

A few days later, we were very glad to meet our Turkish colleagues again. They had the chance to visit our school and watch the presentations we had prepared for them about the Comenius Project, our Educational system, Greek traditional dishes and drinks, traditional dances and costumes and have discussions on educational issues. They tasted many Greek specialities at school and we also had a night out for dinner and many teachers joined us in a taverna. Our students played and sang a number of songs and danced for them. Finally, we compared the features that make us feel Greek, Turkish or European citizens and found many common values we share, we exchanged teaching techniques and we promised to meet again. It was an unforgettable experience and we thank them for their correspodence.

Photos
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1k3VgnH5vfOLu0U7DZkmzQi_2tiTlJ2hfJyuBPltcODU/edit?usp=sharing

Presentation of the Greek Educational System
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxIg6nqrfL9vODJhRWFqQXAxU2c/view?usp=sharing

Presentation with Greek traditional food
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxIg6nqrfL9vR0NDbHR4TXFwZFk/view?usp=sharing

Presentation of Greek traditional dances and costumes
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxIg6nqrfL9vcjl5U1JLZ2dlZU0/view?usp=sharing

Culture Minister visits IGS Garbsen

 

Today, the Culture Minister of Lower Saxony, Frauke Heiligenstadt, paid a visit to IGS Garbsen to inform herself about the international projects of the school. She was greated with a musical performance by a group of younger students and then guided through the break hall by our headmaster Andreas Hadaschik. In the hall, all the international projects of our school were on display. Of course, the Comenius project was also part of this and when the Minister came to our stall, she was informed about our project by Yasemin and Oleksandr. Mrs Heiligenstadt made a friendly and interested impression and the two students did a great job with presenting the project.

Yasemin and Oleksandr (from left) present the Comenius project to the Minister (second from right).

Trilateral Meeting in Garbsen - Evaluation and Presentation of Comenius in English Classes

The Comenius participants have finished all that work, and they have done it very well.  Students and teachers feel  proud of themselves and of the products they have carried out.
But all that has to be evaluated.
Workshop VI is just for the Evaluation and for the Presentation of the Comenius Projects in Evening classes.

Evaluation  Comenius in English Classes - 2015

Comenius Trilateral Meeting - National Evening in Garbsen

No doubt, the National Evening is the long awaited event of the week.
Why is it so?
Every country has been preparing something special for the evening. Our hosts offer a buffet to recover from so much activity during the day and week. Music, dances, food, prizes, friendship... enlighten the evening. There are no more countries, only European friends living in different cities - Getxo, Bergen, Herouville Saint Clair, Garbsen.
Just look at the pictures and see.

National Evening 2015 from J. Carlos Martínez

Comenius trilateral Meeting - Garbsen - 4th Day

It has been a very hard working and ambitious day today. During the Workshop IV the participants have been finishing their works and preparing the presentation.
At 12:30 they have been to the cafeteria to have lunch and after lunch, during Workshop V they have presented their tasks.

Trilateral 4th Day

Comenius Trilateral Meeting - Garbsen. 3rd Day

Today all the participants have been to Berlin, an amazing city for all of them. It's the day for the field trip. They have started visiting The Wall Museum. After that, in multinational teams, with a citymap and a camera in hand, they have explored the city.

Comenius Trilateral Meeting - Third day

Trilateral meeting in Garbsen - Second Day

In the following PPT you can see the activities our Trilateral Meeting Students have done today.

First, the students went to regular classes for two periods with their German partners. Later, they started Workshop II and were working during the rest of the morning. At 12:30 they had lunch at the cafeteria. At 13:30 the began Workshop III and were working until 4:30 p.m.

On the other hand, in the evening, the teachers went to see another classical Comenius colleague and friend, Christoph Brehmer  in concert (he was in Getxo two years ago). It is most rewarding to enjoy time with our creative engaged teachers on these special occasions. Congratulations, Christoph!!!

Comenius Trilateral Meeting - Second Day