In the complex world of today and within the framework of an inclusive school, students must adopt cooperative learning habits that promote personal commitment and attitudes of coexistence. This competence includes working key contents such as Cooperation, Solidarity and Altruism. Through this project we would like to motivate our students to learn how to be interested in the culture of the others and to accept differences as a cultural and social enrichment among many cultures.
This year's Christmas holidays have been a bigger challenge, with all of us having to cope with home confinment and distance teaching and learning amid all this grief of the COVID-19 breakout. If there's one upside to the corona virus pandemic, sheltering at home has given us more time to think and create alternative ways to enhance, among other things, our communication and partnerships on our joint project.
Coming back to school with our spirits high and our Christmas mood still up, we agreed on a Christmas cards make-and-exchange between students of all four partnerships.
This kind of do-it-yourself card making required more thought and work than readymade cards entail, but it has been more personal and, honestly, more pleasurable too.
We were very happy and excited to receive each other's cards and original ideas and wishes for this so out of the ordinary Christmas. A big thank you to all of you wonderful people out there.
International Day of
Persons with Disabilities (December 3) is an international observance promoted
by the United Nations since 1992. It has been observed with varying degrees of
success around the planet. The observance of the Day aims to promote an
understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights
and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase
awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with
disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
It was originally called "International Day of Disabled Persons" until
2007. Each year the day focuses on a different issue.
The replacement of the
term special needs to disability shows the change of focus on how we perceive,
we understand and deal with issues related to disability. Nowadays the starting
point is the potential within each person and the constant educational,
professional, supporting systems and structures around them which will help
these individuals become independent and autonomous adults.
As responsible citizens
our main daily goal has to remain the constant wondering and questioning of our
usual habits. Is the way we are behaving appropriate and just for every person
around us? Do all people benefit from the way our city is working? Are all
people able to reach the benefits of our city such as the seafront and the
beach? Our task is to defend every person’s right to fell dignified and
respected. This is an obligation and a task.
Let’s keep in mind that
disability can occur at any second. It
is our duty to make it personal and to behave and live as citizens who respect
and embrace diversity. We are not the same but we are equal. Let’s celebrate
every day a world of diversity.
Following, please watch a message from George Lazaridis, resident of Kalamata and Wheelchair Tennis champion. Mr. Lazaridis was involved in a car accident that stuck him in a wheelchair in January 1993.
In
an attempt to improve the interpersonal relationships between students, to
enhance empathy and encourage a more kind behavior and a sense of altruism we
organized a kindness week for the
2nd and 4th graders of our school. Here are some activities:
Kindness Bingo:Each student was given a
personal bingo chart with acts of kindness adapted to the reality of our
school. The charts were placed on a big announcement board in each class and
students were coloring each act of kindness they completed. There was a time
limit of 1 week (adapted from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kindness-BINGO-2946306)
The wrinkled heart (or….The
power of words): Students watched the story of ʺChrysanthemumʺ by Kevin Henkes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xffkRIXpnwk while listening to the story they were folding a
paper heart each time something bad, worrying or stressful was told to the heroine. And they were
unfolding the heart when something nice and kind was told. The story had a
happy ending however the wrinkles in the heart were irreversible. By the end of
the story the message was clear: Before
you speak think and be smart, it’s hard to fix a wrinkled heart (author
unknown). https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/196399233725602155/
ʺHave you
filled a bucket today?ʺ:Students watched the story ʺHave you
filled a bucket today? ʺ
by
Carol McCloud https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EuemNAo6XE and were
encouraged to write down their emotions
and thoughts. Two buckets were placed in the classroom one for bucket filling
acts and one for bucket dipping. At the end of the week we read their posts and
created a poster claiming that we are a bucket filling class that will try to
spread the message to the rest of the school.
Thursday, 20/02: Today, all students and teachers assembled in front the school and departed for the town of Dakovo and the National Lipizzan Stud Farm and breeding facility where they had the chance to admire the skill and beauty of this fine breed...
In the afternoon, the group were taken to the city of Osijek and spend some time shopping and looking around at Portanova, the city's shopping centre and one of Croatia's largest shopping malls...
In the early hours of Friday, 21/02 all national teams exchanged their farewels and their until-we-meet again wishes and the teams of Italy, Greece and Spain departed Vinkovci on their way to catch their flights back to their homelands...
It has been an original and wonderful experience for all students and teachers involved and everyone is looking forward to the second mobility and next country of destination...
Wednesday, 19/02: Today we were transfered to the biological purification facilites and instalation of Vinkovci...
and after that we took a ride to the village of Bosnjaciin the municipality of Vukovar-Srijem County, in which place we first visited the Forest Museum and then had lunch at a local restaurant...
In the afternoon, from 14:00 to 17:00 we set up a charity workshop
with the participation of the Red Cross and sold items of all kinds to the local community. All profits were then given away to the Red Cross for their worldwide humanitarian charity work...
Later on the same day, all students received certificates for their participation in the 1st mobility to Croatia and in the same evening all teachers who took part in this project were offered a farewell dinner party at the Villa Lenije Hotel...
Tuesday, 18/02:The day started with a solidary running race around the school. Each team had to contribute 5 Croatian Kunas for each contestant per 200m of race. The total sum of contributions were then offered to the Red Cross as a symbolic donation for its solidary and charity work around the globe...
For the rest of day, students and teachers were divided into two groups. One group would take part in a First Aid workshop with teacher Vedrana while the other would visit the Vinkovci City Museum on a guided tour, with a switch of activities between groups at approximately 13:30...
Monday, 17/02:In the morning, all trans-national teams were tranfered to OSNOVNA SKOLA "A. G. Matos" where they were given a school tour by resident students and attended the welcome ceremony prepared by the students and the faculty of the school especially for them...
After the ceremony all multinational students set off working on a bilingual dictionary project with teachers Vlatka and Sanja while their teachers held a meeting regarding work on the project...
At 15:30, all teams paid a formal visit to the Mayor of Vinkovci and after that they had the opportunity to wander around the town on a guided tour before calling it a day...
