Pleased to Meet EU

POLAND JOINT REPORT

Participants: Italy, Portugal, Austria, Germany, Spain and Poland

3rd June – 7th June 2014

Final Report: Rybnik

June 3 rd to June 4 th - Project partners’ and students’ arrival

The students and teachers are welcomed by the host teachers and by the host families.

June 4 th

The Portuguese team goes on an educational trip to Auschwitz Concentration Camp. The preserved, authentic Memorial consists of two parts of the former concentration camp: Auschwitz I and

Auschwitz II-Birkenau. A guided visit made it possible to understand this unique place more fully. At first, the Germans held Polish political prisoners in the camp. From the spring of 1942 Auschwitz became the largest site for the murder of Jews brought here under the Nazi plan for their extermination. More than 1,100,000 men, women, and children lost their lives here. The dramatic authenticity of this place lends exceptional significance to the

educational activities carried out here, stretching between the tragedy of Auschwitz and vexing contemporary problems.

The German team goes on an educational trip to a coal mine. The Coal Mining Museum is the largest and most important tourist and cultural institution in Zabrze. The complex consists of the Queen Louise Mine and Main Key Hereditary Adit underground galleries.

The newly established Coal Mining Museum offers a wide range of tourist and museum offer, above all aimed at exploring the region's mining heritage. The group enjoyed here the deepest located tourist routes in a coal mine in Europe, offering many activities, relating to both the contemporary and historical mining.

The Italian team goes go on a sightseeing tour of Rybnik. It enjoys the reputation of a "green" city having a relatively clean environment. While the city is no centre of tourism, it does have various interesting sights and opportunities for recreation. To the north-east of the built-up area, there is a reservoir (Zalew Rybnicki) on the river Ruda, which serves as a cooling water source for the power station. Surrounded by forests, it offers swimming, fishing, sailing and

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surfing opportunities, and due to the power station's waste heat it is warm enough all year to be a habitat for grass carps. The Beskidy Mountains are also a popular recreational area for skiing.

The Austrian and the Spanish settled in.

In the afternoon, everyone already present and accounted for, are guided to partner institution- Zespół Szkół nr 2 – Ginazjum Dwujęzyczne nr 18, where project work starts and guest students participated in classes.

In the first part of the workshop the teachers from Germany and Austria demonstrated teaching methods presented by Spanish and Polish partners.

Then Alberto ran-through the web page and some suggestions were made to enhance it.

Next everyone was asked to hand in the script and the materials/ equipment for the international musical. The final product of this partnership “The flying classroom”, in which each partner opens a “National Tin Can” (as they fly from one country to another) containing folk music, modern music, classical music, folk dances, ballet, plays, acting out and singing. At the end a detailed e-brochure will be created to express all the co-operative work involved.

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An amazing welcome dinner awaited us at “Restauracja Hotel Bialy Dom” - the polish way of greeting is something extraordinary. They presented us with Polish delicacies in a beautifully decorated table. Our taste buds were “zinging” with such delicious dishes.

June 5 th

The official project opening ceremony takes place in the school auditorium. The head teacher Mrs Maria Malinowska greets teachers, guest and host students. A brief sum up of the project is done by Beata.

While the partners are given a tour of the school by a previous year student, Patryk Górczynski, who did a brilliant job in answering our questions about the Institution and the work done there by students. Our host students take their international colleagues to integration activities in English, German and Italian. The foreign students could contact directly with teachers and their methods and become aware of correct behavior and positive attitude (for example, the Polish students get up when a guest enters the classroom).

After a highly intense morning teachers and guest students started off on visit to Rybnik Town Hall and a meeting with the Deputy Mayor. We were cordially received and invited to have some coffee or tea. In a speech translated by Patryk Górczynski she kindly welcomed us and put emphasis on the importance of these exchange programs. She then addressed students and inquired them on the difference between Poland and their own countries’ school system. Finally she distributed a gift bag to each one.

Afterwards the students returned to school to appreciate the lovely pack lunch the host families prepared for them, while the teachers were left to have lunch in the town square.

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In the afternoon, after some hours of rehearsing and preparation for the final activity of this project, the guest students went with their hosts to enjoy various activities sponsored by the host families - barbecues, garden parties, shopping and sightseeing.

After working out some details about materials and information to be included in the web page and the joint report everyone started off to get ready for another dinner planned by our Polish partners in town at “Delicje Ristorante” a beautifully decorated Italian restaurant.

Friday the 6th- Closing ceremony: “Europe day”

Finally the so anticipated day arrived and everything was ready to the last detail, thanks to our Polish partners whose efforts and dedication paid off. The show hosts started off with some humor and sparkle. Next everyone fastened their seat belts for a trip to Portugal, Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain – Gran Canaria and Poland. At the sound of “Come fly with me” by Frank Sinatra the captain and his star stewardess took off for an enchanting voyage.

After our performances, which were highly applauded by all, a buffet lunch was served.

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Later on the teachers returned to the hotel to prepare for a cultural experience – a trip to Beskidy Mountains with Patryk as our helpful guide. On our return trip we stopped for a tasty dinner at “Drewutnia” which is the same as saying Wooden House restaurant and entertained by traditional folk music. Our students enjoyed an evening with their host families.

June 7th - the final day

Except for the Italians, who left early in the morning, we took off to Krakow to get a better understanding of the history and culture of these wonderful and enjoy a guided tour to the Wawel Hill and a visit to the Old Town. Krakow is a really amazing city, it’s hard to find words to describe it, one must visit it. We said our goodbyes in a very simple and pleasant way, among friends, eating sausages and chips in a garden party at the hotel’s back lawn.

June 8th - Return

At the early hours of the morning the Portuguese students with their host families arrived at the hotel to start the return trip,

amongst hugs, group photographs and gifts there were a lot of sad faces and even some tears.

The German group and the Austrian left later on followed by the Spanish. It was a pleasure to meet all of EU.

Written by: Aldina Saraiva/ PortugalPhotos by: Anna Drozd/ Poland

Alberto Cardoso/ Portugal

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