Spanish students and their free time activities

A volunteer work experience in Sant Roc, Badalona, Spain

My name is Clara and I’m seventeen. Every Friday afternoon, after school, I think: “Ok! Time to meet my friends and ... but I immediately think: "No, my kids in Sant Roc need me. I need to help them escape from their cruel reality: parents with drug addiction problems, pregnant sisters at only 15 years of age or simply no relatives at all near them because they all live abroad.

Once a week I got to a local community centre called “Ateneu de Sant Roc” in a poor neighbourhood in Badalona where local gypsies and immigrant children from different parts of the world, like Pakistan, Morocco, Romania, Africa, South America... go to have a shower (since in most of their homes they don’t have any running water), to learn Catalan (the language we speak in my region, Catalonia), or just to have a good time out of the street, where they spend most of time during the day. I work there as an instructor but I’m not being paid: I’m just a volunteer.

As soon as we arrive, all the kids are waiting for us: we can hear their voices shouting even from outside in the street: “They are here!” And few minutes later I have them all over me, hugging and kissing me... This feeling is incredible!

Just by looking at those poor and sad kids with an enormous smile on their face, I feel like no other. And the more I look at them, the more I want to work with them, the more activities I feel like preparing for them, the more meetings I want to go to...

Just like some other people, you might think that I’m wasting my time here. But I just love it! What’s more, not only am I involved in this, but I’m also a volunteer for different ONGs (like Red Cross, where I help poor people in my own town) or I even helped organising the Special Olympics in Barcelona. Doing all this I'm the happiest person in the world. Although I don’t have a lot of time, I think that helping other people is the most rewarding work you can do.

To sum up, since I do this type of volunteer work, I see the world from a different point of view. Just try it and you will see that the chances for changing such a terrible world we live in are in your hands: you will feel the happiness in your hands.

International Day of Kindness in Szczecinek, Poland

Hello!

My name is Agata Gajek. I'm a student of The Building School in Szczecinek. On the 21st of November 2007 we celebrated in our school the International Day of Kindness and Greetings.

It is an exellent holiday, because kindness is a treasure making life lighter. So I wish you kindness for you friends, family and foreigners in the street, but particulary for those ones waiting in queues and traffic jams.

Let the smile be with you

The International Day of Kindness and Greetings

The history of this holiday goes back to 1973 when a fierce conflict between Egypt and Israel started. Two American students wanted to demonstrate that people can communicate forgetting about animosities. Since that day 21 November has been recognised worldwide as the day of human communication to support peace in the world.

The educational trip to Precon Polska with the students from Szczecinek, Poland

On the 30th of September, 2007 the students from the graduading class of our school went on the educational trip to Precon Polska, the building company producing the highest quality building materials.

Our school is the Technical School which specializes in building and designing. That's why it is of a great learning experience for the students to watch the processes of production of particular building materials such as concrete wall, pavement tiles and the elements of staircases.

The Action " The Pile of Cents" in Szczecinek, Poland

For the eighth time the action "The Pile of Cents" ( actually "Gora Grosza"-"The Pile of Groszy" which is Polish currency) has taken place in Poland and our school as well.
The main goal of the action is to make children and teenagers aware of the fact that even small money collected by millions of people can be of great value, can help and change the sad fate of lonely children. All money collection is to help the children from the children's homes (orphanages) in Poland.
The collection of money in our school was led by two students - Kasia Chodysz, Ola Stepien and the school psychologist - Małgorzata Witkowska. They managed to gather quite a big amount of money, which will be handed over to the Society Nasz Dom (Our Home).

Katarzyna Podgorska, Zepol Szkol Nr 3, Szczecinek (Poland)

And You Can Be a Volunteer - Secondary School in Szczecinek, Poland

The programme "Older Brother, Older Sister" has over 100- year tradition and goes back to America. It started because of the need of heart, selfless readiness of carrying help to other people in need. It is about taking care of a child who is in a difficult, life situation.

Our school Zespol Szkol Nr 3 in Szczecinek (Poland) has taken part in the programme for a few years and this year the volunteers are going to help children, mostly from the children's home. They spend their free time with them, help in their daily duties and also doing homework. We are very happy that our students are volunteers, help and support children in such a difficult time for them.

Katarzyna Podgorska, English teacher from Zespol Szkol Nr 3 in Szczecinek (Poland)

We keep the national traditions and customs

In Cornesti-Miroslava-Iasi-Romania the popular values is the most important thing.We come from country, love to dance and sing and keep our tradition in their hearts.Our costumes was eswing by hands with knowingly by popular masters and we like to wear.In the last school year we have come in on The friendship festival, in all the festivities organized by first day of june-The children’s day and when we celebrated our region and school...Our evolution was marked by a lot of emotion and modesty but full of gladness.My cousin is a dancer and this is a photo from International School Books day when they are in october at "Luceafarul" Theatre.Florentina-Madalina Padurariu-4th-grade

Summer-the season of holiday

Nature offers us a multitude of activities eg: drawing wonderful landscapes, writing esseis or poems full of semnifications and playing joyful games. Teachers duty is to conserve as well as valorificate these natural beauties.
The " Summer-the season of holiday" project was formed by the collaboration between two schools: a rural school, “Dimitrie Anghel”from Cornesti-Miroslava-Iasi, and a urban school, “Titu Maiorescu”-location”Tudor Arghezi”from Iasi.By participating at this project, schools tryed to demonstrate the fact that all youth are equal despite of the environment they come from, even if they are handicaped or not. The project activities were: drawing contests, puppet shows, soccer, playground games, painting fences, camping, road trips , writing poems and to improve they e-learning skills .
A part of our results can be found at the project site: http://vara.bravehost.com/ , but all the poems, drawings and photos will be published in a book.
And that is how their summer holidays come to an end and they had to get back to their studies.
For our students this was without doubt one of the best vacations they had ever had.
Now, our students enjoy spending time taking care of the school's garden as well as planting trees.
Primary-teachers-Dorina Marin-“Dimitrie Anghel”School-Cornesti-Miroslava-Iasi-Romania and Eugenia Apetroi-“Titu Maiorescu”School-location”Tudor Arghezi”-Iasi

A trip in the nord region of Romania

Hi ! My name is Ema-Cristina Lupu and I have 9 years old.I like to read stories and pets and I'm a very happy person. In this fall season I made a travel with my coleagues in a few cities and have learn more thinks about Romanian history and about science.The most interesant think was when I learn how poteries was made in Marginea-Suceava.They have an old and beautiful tradition.