Comenius trip to
Poland- heading to the frozen north!
During the
Easter break an intrepid party of 5 teachers Ms Marie Louise, Mr Stephen, Ms
Charlene, Mr James and myself and 11 students: Tristan Ayhan Kara Vella, Saffron
Roberts, Jamie Psaila, Camille Pellicano, Elise Sammut, Kluivert Lee Borg,
Alexia Said, Gabriel Attard, Katrin
Attard, Martin Attard, Martina
Vittoria Zamparini, set off for the cold, bleak, concrete clad country of
Poland.....at least that’s what we thought!
Albeit, our
initial seven hour long journey in a van
from Wroclaw to Lublin was not the best we had encountered, imagine our delight
when morning revealed bright sunshine, beautiful countryside and an enthusiastic
welcome from our overseas partners. No time to spare, we had arrived just in
time for breakfast, then off on our first visit.
Wednesday
was a day of contrasts: a morning visit to a palace complex in Kozłówka, which gave us an insight
into life as an aristocrat in pre-war Poland, lunch in a local restaurant and an
afternoon visit to the former concentration camp museum in Majdanek, which gave
everyone cause to reflect on the darker side of humanity. An evening walk
around the old town of Lublin was our last stop before returning to the hotel.
Our hosts had prepared quizzes and activities for everyone to participate in.
Mixed teams of students from all five countries pitched their senses against
each other. I think the favourite round was ‘guess the flavour of the
chocolate’!
Thursday was
spent in our Polish hosts’ school, Kwiatkowski Secondary School in Bychawa. It
was the day of exams for senior students and they were required to wear suits
for the occasion because it was such an important event. We had paraded through
the local streets, carrying the Maltese flag, led by the school brass band and
students in Polish national costume. Bulgarian students had also brought
national costumes, as had Ukranian students. Our friends from Italy and France
also carried national flags, so that we made a truly European procession as we
waved to the townspeople. At the school we discovered similarities and
differences in the curriculum and methods of teaching. Being so close to the
Ukranian border, the school catered for a significant number of Ukranian
students. Multiculturalism was as much a part of their school profile as it is
ours. But of course a school canteen is a school canteen anywhere in the world
and students lost no time in enjoying the camaraderie of their new friends as
they tucked into soup, breaded chicken and apple juice.
Thursday
afternoon was the final preparation for our drama presentations. Giving
direction to students with varying levels of English was ‘a bit of a
challenge’, but we got there in the end! All participants performed well, well
done to all! After our student show we were treated to a brass band recital and
then the University National Folk Dance Company performed a repertoire of
Polish dances from around the regions. The costumes were outstanding! But the evening
wasn’t over... Our Polish hosts had
organised a disco for all students back at the school. Then it was time to go
back to the hotel!
Friday was
another packed day, with a visit to Kazimierz Dolny, a picturesque Renaissance
town with some stunning architectural features. We took a walk along the
riverbank, while our guide told us how the river had formerly been the main
method of transporting goods. We also heard of some of the previous, medieval
inhabitants, who had formed a band of robbers, led by a teenage girl called
Katrina. A wander through the market town allowed us to buy souvenirs to take
home. There were many wooden crafted toys and decorations, as well as biscuits
and sweets from the region. In the evening there was time for a brief stop in
Lublin for last minute gifts, then back to the hotel. We all needed a good
night’s sleep for the long journey home in the morning, but a flying beetle and
some noisy furniture removal by the hotel staff made that a little difficult!
Saturday morning
and fond farewells. We were leaving from Warsaw this time, so a much shorter
road journey and a bigger coach. Friendships had been made and promises to be
in touch exchanged. The Italians may be able to visit Malta next year (as long
as we don’t feed them breaded chicken and apple juice!). All in all, we managed
to fill a very short space of time with so many shared experiences. The impact of
such cultural exchanges cannot be quantified because the experiences leave
indelible trails in our memory. We all returned enriched with a ‘flavour of
Poland’ (no, not the chicken!) and an understanding that wherever we meet
people, we have more in common than we do differences.
On a personal
note, it was a pleasure to accompany such a great group of colleagues and
students, who were an absolute credit to our school and our country.
Ms
Lesley
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