Friday 17 February 2012

At the Concert

I hope our guests enjoyed the performance of the children from Ropaži municipality at our Culture Centre.

Short videos about the sport activities

Great thanks to Klāvs Šķerbergs from class 6.a.
Adapted games


Towel game


Traditional games 1


Traditional games 2

Saturday 4 February 2012

Ropaži meeting-posters

The first reviews from our guests

Alvaro Antonio Gala Seville
A WARM EXPERIENCE AT MINUS 20º.

Despite such a cold weather and being surrounded by snow our welcome in Latvia was warm and cosy. They made ourselves feel at home.

For a southern Spaniard it would be easy to think that northern Europe people are the same as their weather, cold, serious and not very talkative and, of course, I expected something like that in Latvia. What a surprise!!! From the first moment we were treated in a charming and friendly way. All the people we met helped us to enjoy and to have a great time. Maybe it is due to the nice atmosphere we can fell at your school.
I would like to remark the great school we found. We got impressed from the first moment when we got out of the school bus, what is a luxury that no every school can enjoy, and saw trees everywhere, no concr...ete but forest, beautifull. In the middle of all that nature there was the school, a spectacular building, modern and light. We could visit every classroom and school facilities and I can say that I was insanely jealous. Every corner looked renewed and updated, the sport hall was simply amazing, as well as the theater, in fact, you seemed to have a new and modern space for every activity we did. Latter we understood that the school shared some of the facilities with the local Cultural Centre. Then it made sense to us that a small town school had so many resources. I can assure that is not so easy to find a local government that focus and invests in education at that level.
Even more than the resources what really engaged us was the kind and charming staff at school. Those teachers are really hard workers and very interested in knowing about our educative system, methodology or assessment process, they were quite involved in the project. They seemed to us serious at the beginning, but on the other hand they turn out to be talkative, friendly and open-minded. All of them were very hospitable and help us to spend a lovely time in spite of the weather.
Also was interesting to meet the students, some of them while true lessons. I got astonished at their English level. We could hold a conversation with a little 7 years child which hardly could happen in other places. As well they were really interested in the project and in knowing things about us. As a secondary stage teacher I can say that they were really polite and should be proud about the education they have received.
After having enjoyed so much my stay in Latvia and having known so many lovely people only can say thank you for everything.

Spanish Team
 
 
    • Baiba Lukasevica Thank you! This is exactly what I asked all of you to write about. A short survey of your impressions so that we can read them to our parents and other people in the village.
       

    • Fernanda Mestre Gonçalves Spanish team, I think the Portuguese team agrees with every single word you say!!! And what a perfect report you have written!!!! I would just add that this COMENIUS project is helping us (teachers and students) to take school to a different level ... Learning from others and sharing with others!!!! A warm hug from Tavira, PORTUGAL :)

Survey about the integration problems

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J6hh4Oavj3A-GE9MaKnVm03mjMkjk4jmrl_s4S56le8/edit

Adapted Games-presented at Ropaži meeting (description)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fCxKAaulTijaO2eOiLIf-_kvamW9K5CZM0Uu6YRllVI/edit

Traditional Latvian games presented at Ropaži meeting

Ropaži - a video showing our village

A short view from St Peter's Church's observation platform

How you can make your own loaf of bread at "Lāči"

Friday 3 February 2012

Ropaži meeting - Zaķumuiža School and 333 Car Racing Track

Ropaži meeting- Music and Art School

Ropaži meeting - Local authorities

Ropaži meeting - history reenactment club "Rodenpois"

Ropaži meeting - Concert

Ropaži meeting - Bakery "Lāči"

Ropaži meeting -At the Blacksmith's "Lakta"

Ropaži meeting - Riga

Ropaži meeting - At the kindergarten "Annele"

Ropaži meeting - Sport Activities

Photos from the meeting - At School

Ropaži meeting

Ropaži
January 26-29, 2012
Partnerschools participating:
CEPA SOC COOP AND Colegio Antonio Gala, Dos Hermanas, Spain: coordinator school – 4 teachers;
Zlatarski International School, Sofia, Bulgaria – two teachers and three students;
Gymnasium Agiou Ioannoy tou Chrisostomou, Nicosia, Cyprus – two teachers and two students;
Ropažu vidusskola, Ropazi, Latvia- project group (8 teachers);
Åmot ungdomsskole, Rena, Norway – two teachers;
ESCOLA ESCOLA BÁSICA D. MANUEL I – TAVIRA, Tavira, Portugal – five teachers.

January 24-25
Guests arriving at Riga International airport. Teacher Iveta from Ropaži Secondary Schools meets all the delegations and take them to the hotel. Students are taken to Ropaži, they will stay with host families.
 January 26
The day starts at the hotel. The school bus and Baiba greets everybody at the hotel.
A forty minute drive to our village. Emotions are high, because the morning is quite cold (- 12o), deep snow has covered the land and trees. The bus stops in the centre of the village and the delegations take a short walk to the school. Usually we cover this distance in two minutes. Now it takes almost ten minutes – the first photos, the first meeting with the snow for somebody.
At school we are met by our Head- Māra Priede and we go to the sports centre so that to get on another bus. We will be more people now – teachers and students as well.
This day is dedicated to getting acquainted with Ropaži Municipality, its people.
The first visit is to “Lakta” – a famous blacksmith enterprise with Mr Oleksāns as the head of it. We are shown how a tool for a stove is forged.
Then our way goes to the kindergarten “Annele”. It seems that there our guests receive the greatest emotions. The system how the group work is organised, what activities are popular among children, the nice and cosy rooms make everybody admire the time children spend there. Of course, the following questions and exchange of experience are connected with expenses. All educational establishments (they are four in our municipality) are under the guidance and maintenance of our municipality.
After a cup of hot tea we are ready to spend some minutes outside and listen to the young men from the history re-enactment club “Rodenpois”. Their enthusiastic story about the history of our village, the settlement that was first mentioned in chronicles in 1205 was an excellent introduction to the Medieval period of history. The best memories about this visit will be for one student from Bulgaria who was asked to put on armoury that could weigh about 15-20 kilos (he was lucky one, because full equipment would be 40-60 kg).
After lunch time in our school’s canteen we all go to visit the next educational institution in our municipality – Zaķumuiža Elementary School. The impressive performance of the folk group “Oglīte” (A small piece of live coal), the songs and the Latvian folk dance – something we could hear and do together. The educational system in this school is slightly different from Ropaži Secondary School because they have children starting from the age 3 up to age 16 under one roof.
To feel more the cold winter, the guests are taken to the car racing track 333. We meet its owner Mr Šlēgelmilhs and his son Haralds, previous student of Ropaži Secondary School, a car racer. His impressive information in excellent English language let us forget the freezing cold.
The evening is spent at the guest house “Sauleskalns” enjoying hot bath house possibilities with taking a snowy shower afterwards. Students spend the evening at Music and Art School creating print pictures and medals from clay.

January 27
The day at Ropaži Secondary School.
Having arrived to our school the guests are invited to the Culture Centre to meet all the students. All the delegations are introduced to the students. The girls from classes 9 and 11 perform nicely other version of Latvian folk songs. The guests receive souvenirs.
After some minutes the guests can answer the questions asked by the students from classes 10 to 12. They also want to hear some answers from our students.
The next activity prepared for our guests- visiting some classes, but at first they have a short lecture about our school at the museum – a unique institution that has been organised in our school.
Primary classes have prepared different posters, various performances about one definite country. They even try to speak in English asking some questions about the countries the guests have come from. Some delegations manage to visit other classrooms – physics class, biology class.
Then – one of the main activities of this visit –exhibition of adapted games prepared by teachers Ļena and Artis. Class 9.a students show: Sitting Volleyball, Victory Ball and an extra game: Beach Towel Volleyball. The last one is especially liked by our guests.
The next activity-class 8.b students have to perform traditional games from different countries. That is really exciting not only for our students but also for the guest students and teachers, because everybody tries to take part in them.

After lunch in our canteen, we have the project work meeting. The previous task fulfilment is discussed and the new tasks for the next meeting in Norway are drawn.
The plan for the afternoon – to introduce our Music and Art School, meeting with the Sport Centre manager director Evita Eglāja, meeting with Culture Centre manager director Sanita Megere-Klevinska and coordinator of educational institutions in our municipality Antons Cibuļskis. The main question asked by our guests throughout the two days of this visit – How much should students and their parents pay for school buses, for afterschool activities at school, at Sports Centre, at Culture Centre, at Music and Art School, for the kindergarten? Their surprise is immense – nothing or a very symbolic payment (5,-LVL for Music School etc.).
After a short coffee break together with some teachers from Ropaži School, the guests enjoy a part of the concert organised in the Culture Centre ( the annual event). And then – dinner in one of our village’s cafes. The guests are definitely surprised by tasty and healthy food that is served everywhere – at school, at our cafes.
January 28
A day in Riga.
Our guests get acquainted with the capital city of Latvia. Although the weather is cold (-130) and windy, that turned out to be quite an extreme experience, our guests are impressed by our Old Riga, by different legends told by the attractive guide Peteris.
Lunch at the recreation centre “Lido”. Everybody can compare meals at our school and now in Riga. Again- excellent! Guest students manage to find some time for skating. A Bulgarian student has taken his skates with him!!!
Return to the city centre by tram turns out quite an experience. And now the guests may enjoy shopping in the shopping centre “Galerija Centrs” and some other shops.
The evening is spent differently. Students enjoy the evening with their host families, some activities organised by them. Teachers have the opportunity to dance to Latvian pop music in “Četri balti krekli” – a popular dance club in Riga.

January 29
The Cyprus delegation has left Riga early in the morning. The Bulgarians get ready for leaving Latvia. Other teachers and four teachers from Ropaži go to the bakery “Lāči”. You had to see the faces of our guests when they at last understood what it means to make their own loaf of bread.
So we have finished the programme with tasting hand-made and ecological bread.
January 30
The last three delegation – from Spain, Norway and Portugal, are leaving Latvia
Let’s see each other in Norway at the beginning of May.

Ropaži Secondary School Teacher Baiba Lukaševiča