In October 2012, five Astor sixth form students and two teachers travelled to Bulgaria to work with six schools from around Europe. The aim of the meeting was to learn about European historical figures and events through dramatic productions.
During their time there the students worked hard at documenting their experiences and gained knowledge about Kazanluk, Bulgaria and have put together an informational tourist video.
Comenius Project Visit - Estonia 2013
The Comenius project, ‘Learning European History through Staging National Events,’ took off on their second meeting to Estonia on the 25th February 2013. Six sixth form students and two teachers from Astor College were given the unique opportunity to meet up with students and teachers from all over the continent.
Together with the students and staff from Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Italy, Portugal and Spain, students explored Estonia’s capitol city, Tallinn. They ventured into ‘Old Town,’ visited art museums and ruined castles and even got a chance to weave traditional Estonian baskets.
Astor students created a skit based on the Bulgarian national historical figure Dimitar Peshev, a WWII politician that prevented Hitler from taking Bulgarian Jews to his concentration camps. “It was interesting learning about Peshev. He was important to the war efforts in Bulgaria and is now honoured by Israel's Holocaust Museum who awarded him the title of "Righteous Among the Nations.” I’m just surprised we hadn’t heard of him before,” Jamie Giles stated after returning from the trip.
The meeting was a great success. Students and staff had an amazing time exploring the city and experiencing what the Estonian and Russian cultures had to offer. “We will never forget our time and Estonia and are grateful for our hosts, the students and staff at the Tallinn Downtown Russian Up Secondary School, for such an amazing experience.”
Comenius Project - Portugal 2013
Comenius Project - Portugal 2013
In April 2013, the Comenius Project, “Learning European History through Staging National Historical Events,” ventured on its third and final trip this academic school year to Vienna do Castillo, Portugal. Four travel weary students and two teachers arrived late Sunday ready and geared up for a great week.
The hot Portuguese sun shone down on the Astor group as they teamed up with students from around Europe to learn about local culture and lifestyles. Together with the students and staff from Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Italy, Portugal and Spain, students ventured into ‘Old Town,’ visited a hospital museum on a boat and even followed in the footsteps of local fishing wives by hand sewing designs onto aprons. The pinnacle of the week was when more than fifty students and staff marched through the streets of the city re-enacting the Celtics journey to the hill top.
Astor students created a short performance based on the Czech national historical figure Leos Janacek, a famousCzech composer, musical theorist, folklorist, publicist and teacher. “I was a bit nervous about having to perform in front of a group of people that I hardly knew, but we had a laugh and I learned a bit about different historical people from around Europe.”
The Portugal meeting was a great culmination to the school year and we can’t wait to continue the project in October when we travel to Spain.
No comments:
Post a Comment