Saturday 28 February 2015

(PL) Easter in Poland

Easter is major holiday in Poland, and Easter celebrations are not limited to Easter Sunday. Easter-related traditions take place for more than a week in Poland. From Palm Sunday to Wet Monday, this period is marked with religious rites and practices with their origins in pagan times. It is important to note that Easter in Poland is celebrated according to Western Roman Catholic calendar.

Easter Traditions in Poland


Holy Week lasts from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. Palm Sunday, the week before Easter Sunday, is marked by church attendance with palm-leaf substitutes in the form of willow branches or handmade bouquets of dried flowers. Some of the Polish villages and small towns organize artificial palm competitions. The most famous one takes place in Lipnica Murowana. In 2013 the biggest palm was over 32 meters high! 




On Easter Saturday, baskets of Easter food are taken to church to be blessed; the food that is blessed is eaten as a part of the Easter Sunday breakfast (people take  to churches a small amount of food like eggs, bread, meat and butter which are put inside the basket) It’s a very important tradition in Polish culture so you can often spot entire families participating in it.


What can we find in a Polish Easter basket?And what do the things symbolise?

Butter it is often shaped into a lamb or a cross. This reminds us of the goodness of Christ that we should have toward all things.
Easter bread - symbol of Jesus, who is our true Bread of Life.
Horseradish with grated red beets - symbol of the Passion of Christ still in our minds but sweetened with some sugar because of the Resurrection.
Dyed eggs (decorated with the symbols of Easter, of life, of prosperity) -indicate new life and Christ's Resurrection from the tomb.
Sausage- symbol of God's favor and generosity.
Ham- symbol of great joy and abundance.
Sół- so necessary an element in our physical life, that Jesus used its symbolism: "You are the salt of the earth."
Cheese- shaped into a ball, it is the symbol of the moderation Christians should have at all times.
A candle is inserted into the basket to represent Christ, the Light of the World. For a decoration people use a colorful ribbons and sometimes sprigs of greenery are attached. A linen cover is drawn over the top and it is ready.

Holy Sunday

Sunday morning in this case means a lot of people attend church. When they get home, the head of the house takes one of the blessed eggs, removes the shell and cuts it into small pieces to share it among all the people in the family. The blessed egg is the symbol of life and eating it is believed to guarantee good health. Everyone exchanges wishes and they eat a big meal that includes the traditional sour rye soup, meat, cold meat, pate, stuffed eggs, and for dessert: babka (sweet yeast cake), cheesecake and mazurek (pastry with a generous layer of chocolate or other kinds of icing decorated with dried fruit, almonds and nuts).As everywhere children love chocolate bunnies, chicks and lambs.Everyone has to eat at least a small piece of each of the blessed foods because this would bring them good luck.


Pisanki are Easter eggs from Poland, handcrafted in traditional designs that recall pagan symbols of fertility and spring.




Wet Monday

Easter Monday is a family holiday in Poland and is called Smigus Dyngus (also called Smingus-Dyngus), or Wet Monday, after the practice of men and boys pouring water on women and girls. The tradition derives from old pagan customs related to the symbolic awakening of nature and spring cleansing of dirt and illnesses. Girls that were soaked on that day increased their chances of getting married.


In many villages in southern Poland, the habit of sprinkling fields with holy water on Easter Monday is still alive. It is often accompanied by tricks played on neighbours, such as changing gates, placing farming tools on roofs or hiding water buckets.



Easter games

Apart from fun on Easter Monday people in Poland have played ‘cracking eggs’ for centuries. Two people strike Easter eggs held in their palms against each other. The holder of the stronger, uncracked egg is the winner.

Friday 20 February 2015

(FR) Press book "OUEST France"


Coménius : une délégation de Saint-Gilles en Espagne
École Saint Gilles Hennebont

Hennebont: 03 février 2015



Noëlle Gauchet et Gwénaëlle Le Sommer-Le Mentec.

Engagée dans un projet Coménius, l'école bilingue de Saint-Gilles poursuit son périple auprès des écoles européennes partenaires (1).
Cette fois, Noëlle Gauchet, directrice de l'établissement et coordinatrice des actions pédagogiques menées, et Gwénaëlle Le Sommer-Le Mentec, enseignante CM1-CM2 bilingue, se rendent en Espagne, à Sanlucar de Barrameda, (près de Cadix). Sur place, elles rencontreront les collègues de l'école CEIP El Picacho, pour avancer dans le projet commun.
« Quatre élèves du cycle 3 bilingue devaient être du voyage mais, grosse déception, explique la directrice, le plan Vigipirate nous interdit de faire voyager des élèves, via l'aéroport de Roissy. »
En juin, des délégations de toutes les écoles joindront Hennebont pour un final festif.
(1) Chypre, Pologne, Roumanie, Allemagne, Islande, Espagne.



From newspaper « Ouest France »

(FR) Press book "Le Télégramme"


 

From newspaper « Le Télégramme »

Sunday 15 February 2015

(SP) MOBILITY TO SPAIN


 Este es un video powerpoint con algunas de las fotos tomadas durante la movilidad que muestra algunos de los momentos maravillosos que pasamos en Sanlúcar.

This is a powerpoint video with some of the pictures taken in the mobility that shows some of the wonderful moments spent in Sanlúcar.


La música que se oye está interpretada por Manolo Sanlúcar, un famoso guitarrista de nuestra ciudad.

Music you can hear is played by Manolo Sanlúcar, a famous guitar player from Sanlucar.

Algunos vídeos cortos de las representaciones flamencas.

Some shots of Flamenco's performances.

 
 
 

 
 

Friday 13 February 2015

(DE) Drawing competition

Drawing competition

We participated with some of our students on a drawing competition with the subject "Europe". We decided to let fly a dragon to our comenius partners and draw what he saw in the different countries. Here are some of the results.



 

 
 

 

(DE) Easter in Germany

in Germany



Eggs and Bunnies Symbolize Renewal and Joy

Something strange happens in Germany on Easter Sunday. Excited children run around, pushing the furniture in their apartments, lifting the cushions and looking under trees and bushes in their garden.

  Why? They try to find Easter Eggs that have been hidden the night before by the Easter Bunny!

   The children are searching for their small basket or nest, inside are real colored eggs or chocolate eggs, and a chocolate bunny.


The Easter bunny is a symbol for fertility and resurgent life.


Decorating eggs


Colorful and decorated eggs are a symbol of resurgent life in the spring. They are on every table at Easter, whether made of chocolate or colored. Blown or hard-boiled eggs can simply be painted and decorated, depending on the age, according to taste of the children (and adults). The eggs can also be dyed with store-bought dyes or by boiling the eggs with natural substances such as onion skin or beetroot juice.
Vinegar added to the water makes the colors brighter and rubbing with either bacon fat or salad oil produces a shine.


You can find a lot of Easter decorations in many German homes. Decorated blown eggs are sometimes hung on yellow forsythia branches in a vase together with little wooden painted eggs, Easter bunnies or chicks.


Traditions

  The lent of forty days is less strict than in further times, but many people try to live without chocolate or alcohol or other nice habitudes. In Germany the Good Friday is a holiday. In some towns the traditional Good Friday Procession can be seen.
   You don't hear the church bells and no loud music. In some regions, there are special traditions, for example the Easter bonfire or the blessing of the Easter basket filled with the paschal lamb and eggs.

Family time


On Easter Sunday and Monday (holiday too) the families are spending time together. Some are going to church, they are baking an Easter wreath or a paschal lamb made of yeast dough, eating a good meal, often lamb, searching for the Easter Eggs and going for a walk to welcome the spring time.

 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe even wrote a poem named « Osterspaziergang » about this joyful walk.


Text inspired by:

photos:

(CY) Skype meeting Cyprus / Iceland

  On Thursday 29 of January, we made our Skype Meeting with the children of Iceland. From Cyprus,  participated the children of the First Grade.

 The children of Iceland sang a very beautiful song and then, they asked us some questions. Some of the questions are:

  1. What time do we start our lessons?
  2. What time do we finish our lessons?
  3. How is our weather?
  4. How old are our children?
 
 Then, our children sang the song "Φυτέψτε δέντρα" (Plant trees) and we made questions.
Some of the questions are:

  1. How is the weather in Iceland?
  2. What kind of games do they play?
  3. If the children like ice cream?
  4. What kind of flowers they have?
  5. If they wear uniforms at school ?

 

Sunday 8 February 2015

(SP) MOBILITY TO SPAIN ON LOCAL TV

This week we had a wonderful time in Spain with our Comenius partners. It was short but intense. We shared some special moments together. From Spain we have tried to show our culture and customs and some of the special places of our city. We hope you have enjoyed your stay despite of the cold wave we suffered. Thanks to all our Comenius partners for this wonderful time.


Here you can watch  news in our local TV about the meeting in the Town Hall with the Representative of Education in the city.


Saturday 7 February 2015

(FR) Skype meeting -press


Via Skype, les écoliers se parlent au-delà des frontières
École Saint Gilles Hennebont

Hennebont: 7 février 2015



En classe de CE2-CM1, des échanges à la fois audio et vidéo (à droite, sur écran)

Grâce au programme Coménius, l'école de Saint-Gilles entretient des relations étroites avec plusieurs établissements scolaires européens situés à Chypre, en Pologne, Roumanie, Allemagne, Islande et Espagne. Un éloignement géographique qui n'est pas un obstacle majeur grâce à Skype. Les jours derniers, c'était un échange entre la classe de CE2-CM1 monolingue de Mélanie Le Gal et des enfants de l'école allemande Falkenhausenschule, de Kehl. « On s'est envoyé des cartes de voeux et l'on a appris comment dire joyeux anniversaire dans les différentes langues des écoles partenaires », raconte l'enseignante.
Depuis lundi, Noëlle Gauchet, la directrice, et Gwénaëlle Le Sommer-Le Mentec, enseignante de CE1-CM2 bilingue, sont à Sanlucar-de-Barrameda, en Espagne, pour affiner les relations entre partenaires.


Sunday 1 February 2015

(SP) HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONG


(FR) Skype meeting with Germany

Rencontre skype avec l'Allemagne

Classe CE2/CM1 Monolingue de Mélanie Le Gal

Le vendredi 30 janvier , nous avons eu une rencontre « Skype » avec nos partenaires allemands de Kehl, voici les questions que nous avons posées :
  • Combien d’enfants y a t-il dans votre classe ?
  • Est-ce que vous avez la fusée des responsabilités dans votre classe ?
  • Est-ce que le matin vous avez des petites devinettes ?
  • Comment s’appelle votre maîtresse ?
  • Faites-vous du sport ? Si oui, quel sport ?
  • Combien de temps de récréation Avez-vous ?
  • Est-ce que vous avez une bibliothèque ?
  • Combien apprenez-vous de langues ? Lesquelles ?
  • Aimez-vous le foot ?
  • A quelle heure commencez-vous l’école ?
  • Comment vous appelez-vous ?
  • Comment s’appelle votre école ?
  • Combien d’heures de classe Avez-vous dans la semaine ?
  • Pouvez-vous amener des jouets à l’école ?
  • Est-ce que vous avez deux maîtresses ?
  • A quelle heure est votre récréation ?
  • Avez-vous des ordinateurs dans votre classe ?
  • Avez-vous un uniforme à l’école ?
  • Sur quels pays travaillez vous ?
  • Est-ce que vous faites de l’histoire ?
  • Est-ce que vous faites le ménage dans votre classe ?
  • Est-ce que vous avez plusieurs niveaux dans votre classe ?
  • Êtes-vous partis en classe de neige ?
  • Avez-vous des sorties scolaires ?
  • Combien êtes-vous dans l’école ?
  • Les maîtresses de votre école partent-elles dans d’autres pays ?
  • Combien de classes y a t’il dans votre école ?
  • Est-ce que votre classe est grande ?
  • Allez-vous à l’école le mercredi ?
  • Quel âge ont les enfants de la classe ?
  • Avez-vous un animal de compagnie dans votre classe ?
  • Est-ce un directeur ou une directrice ?
  • En quelle classe êtes-vous ?