Erasmus+ Week in Thessaloniki (24/02/2015-28/02/2015)
The second project meeting - and first with groups of pupils- under the Erasmus+ Program "European School Partnership for Sustainability" in Thessaloniki has been successfully completed and our guests are already safe and sound at home. These five days (Tuesday, 24/2 - Saturday, 28/ 2) have been fruitful and pleasant for teachers and students, who had the chance to get to know each other, to become more familiar with other cultures, to practise their English, while at the same time they were increasing their ecological sensitivity and awareness. At the end of the week, new friendships had established and promises for future meetings and cooperations were made. So the objective aims of the Erasmus+ project, as described in the formal application, seem to have been fulfilled.
On first day (Tuesday, 24/02/2015), after the greetings and the welcoming activities, during which each guest received their own folder from the headmaster of the school, and after the ice-braking games for the students or the ice-braking coffee for the teachers, each team presented digitally and orally their school, town and region.
Eveybody admired the quality of students? work and enjoyed the beauties of each town, city or region participating in the program. The working day ended with a voluntary environmental activity at the schoolyard, during which students and teachers of the six schools planted and watered flowers.
On second day (Wednesday, 25/02/2015), our guests along with some Greek students and teachers, followed a guided tour in The City Museum of White Tower (Lefkos Pyrgos), from the terrace of which they had the chance to enjoy the view and take some pictures of the city. Afterwards, they attended a digital presentation of the city of Thessaloniki in the New City Hall. Unfortunatelly, the scheduled bike ride along the seafront of Thessaloniki was cancelled because of the bad weather conditions prevailing at that moment. Early in the evening the Erasmus+ teachers of the six countries had a meeting in the Breakfast Room of Park Hotel, during which they were informed about the schedule of the second Short-Term Exchange of Groups of Pupils in Kis?jsz?ll?s, Hungary, and they discussed the meeting there. Ms M?rta Ozsv?th, who made the presentation, managed to rouse expectations about it!
On third day (Thursday, 26/02/2015), each team displayed a presentation about environmental problems of their hometown. Then the students, in nationally mixed teams, took part in Roundtable Discussions, looking for solutions of the environmental problems and ways of enhancing environmental awareness, which they presented orally at the end. Subsequently, immediatelly after a short interval, guests students in two groups joined either the European Civilization Lesson, tought by Mr Salonikides, or the Re-use of Materials Project, led by Mrs Michailidou and Mrs Antikoulani. In both of them, along with Greek students and teachers, they learned new things and had fun.
On fourth day (Friday, 27/02/2015), the Erasmus+ students and teachers of the six countries took off early in the morning for a trip to Aigai-Vergina, the ancient capital of the Macedonian Kingdom, where they visited the Museum of Royal Tombs, which houses among the others the tomb of Philip ΙΙ, the father of Alexander the Great. After the excellent guided tour within the Museum, offered by Mrs Gratziou and Ms Koukourikou, and under difficult weather conditions the whole group visited Veroia, the region?s capital, where they had coffee and lunch near the river, in the old Jewish area of the town.
The fifth ? and last ?day of the Erasmus+ Meeting in Thessaloniki (Saturday, 28/02/2015) started with a short visit of the Museum of Byzantine Culture and continued with a guided tour, initially by the Bus number 50, the cultural bus line in town, and then on foot, as the group descended from the Upper Town down, sightseeing and visiting famous landmarks of Thessaloniki, as the Trigonion Tower, the Vlatadon Monastery, the Osios David Monastery and Rotonda. The Erasmus+ Week in our city and in the 1st Model Experimental High School of Thessaloniki ?Manolis Andronikos? ended with a party that began early in the evening and finished at midnight, leaving the crowd of participants strong feelings of joy and enhancing the newborn friendships. The farewell party ? whichstarted with Physical Magicals by the Science Club, led by Mrs Achilleos and Mr Papadopoulos, and a small concert by the Music Club, led by Mr Sykas ?evolved into a great dance party, where students of all the countries ate delicious food, prepared by the Greek families, and danced together.
All in all, this Erasmus+ Week in Thessaloniki and in 1st Model Experimental High School ?Manolis Andronikos? left very good impression and strong feelings to those involved and gave feedback to the Erasmus+ teachers of all the paricipating countries, in order to keep on doing their best for the program.
