ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE "COMENIUS PROJECT"

1. What actions within the project were taken up by the school in the school year 2003/2004 (until 1st March 2004)?

1.1.      Between 6th and 13th September an international working meeting of teachers and students from schools participating in the Project was held in Katowice. As part of the meeting the participants did the following:

·              carried out workshops in “Łężczok” forest and pond reserve near Racibórz, where the structure of plant communities and standing timber was examined, particularly in Polish Hussars Alley as well as the side alleys (Lipowa Alley and Grabowa Alley); the work resulted in taking initiative regarding the proposal to register the reserve with the list of objects encompassed by the UNESCO international protection of monuments of nature and culture convention;

·              visited the Industrialized Areas Ecology Institute in Katowice and got acquainted with the problems of monitoring and technologies of purifying soil and water, as well as with the pro-ecological policy procedures;

·              visited the Municipal Enterprise for Communal Economy in Zabrze and  Segregation and Composting Plant where they got acquainted with the rules of managing communal waste, particularly with a modern method of composting the waste; they also compared the ways of communal sewage administration in Italy, Spain and Poland.

·              visited the Hospital Waste Utilization Plant and got acquainted with the problems of neutralizing that group of waste in Silesia

·              participated in a scientific session held at our school during which two plenary papers were read:

“The Biodiversity of Silesia” by Dr Jerzy Parusel, Head of the Nature Heritage Centre for Upper Silesia;

“The Problems of Post-industrial Areas in Silesia” by Prof. Stefan Grodzik from Post-industrial Areas Ecology Institute;

other session participants included: Silesian Schools Superintendent Office inspector; Katowice City Office representative; representatives of Polish Ecological Club for Upper Silesia; Catholic High School students; local media representatives

·              worked out the activity schedule for the whole year

·              visited Auschwitz-Birkenau, the site of martyrdom of millions of people, the place which makes one ponder on the value of peace on earth and the necessity for cooperation and tightening the bonds of friendship between nations

·              had an opportunity to see the most interesting places in this part of Poland: Cracow, Wieliczka Salt Mine, Cracow-Czestochowa Jura and Jasna Gora in Czestochowa.

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1.2.      The following student contracts were carried out:

“The Natural Qualities of the Culture and Recreation Park in Chorzow” (VHS film)

“Macromycetes of Łężczok Reserve” (poster)

“The Biology of Greater Spotted Eagle” (poster, VHS film)

“The Earth First of All” (VHS film)

1.3. Ecological workshops for high school fourth grade students were held, devoted to learning about  the flora and fauna of Zywiec forests;

1.4. A large group of our students took part in the “Clean Up the World” action in the Katowice forest inspectorate.

1.5. A cooperation with the local environment was started:

·              students attended monographic lectures at the Centre of Research on Man and Environment at the University of Silesia in Katowice

·              cooperation with Polish Ecology Club for Upper Silesia and Industrial Areas Ecology Institute

·              cooperation with Professor Adolf Dygacz’s Ecological Foundation and Green League

1.6.      Physico-chemical examination of soil taken from various sites was carried out (MS Power Point presentation)

1.7.      A competition was held to choose the best photo concerning the animate and inanimate nature of our region

1.8.      A project of a calendar for 2004 was drafted, containing competition photos from Piemont, Galicia and Silesia

1.9.      As a part of the Comenius Week the following events were organized at our school:

·              an ‘open day’ for parents and students of other schools of our city

·              an exhibition of work accomplished within the school Socrates-Comenius Project

·              a presentation of the project we had been carrying out at a conference held by the Silesian Schools Superintendent Office

·              a competition concerning the knowledge of the European Union, the Socrates-Comenius programme and natural environment

1.10.  Presentation of students’ work on Regional Day

1.11.   A survey was carried out among gymnasium (junior high) students, aimed at checking their knowledge of regions from which the partner schools come from (results to be seen at www.klo.katowice.pl)

1.12.   Selected items of information regarding the realization of the school programme were placed on our school’s website and in our school newspaper

1.13.   An action called “Make Something Out of Waste” was carried out. A lot of interesting things were created. Two of them: “A Lamp Made From CDs” and “ A Bag Made From Floppy Discs” won the event’s initiator’s – Galicia’s educational authorities’ - recognition.

1.14.   Two competitions were held:  one for the best literary, poetic and photographic work , its subject being European cooperation and natural environment protection, and a competition for the best website on which we aim to place more materials from the realization of the school Socrates-Comenius Project;

1.15.   Data necessary to make a map of air pollution in Katowice is in the process of being collected – the deadline has been moved to the turn of April and May due to numerous atmospheric falls making it difficult to collect samples.

1.16.   In relation to the results of the survey, various elements connected with our partners’ regions (Piemont, Galicia) have been introduced into our curriculum; an exhibition presenting geographical, tourist, cultural and social information regarding our partners’ regions was held.

2.    What actions have been planned for the rest of the school year 2003/2004 (until 31 July 2004)

2.1. Continuation of research projects on areas chosen by the partner schools (Italy, Spain, Poland)

2.2. Taking initiative in registering the most naturally precious objects with UNESCO list (WHP).

2.3. Poetry Day celebrations; determining the results of the “PRO NATURA” literary and poetic competition and the photographic contest; editing a post-contest volume (WHP); taking part in Spring Day.

2.4. Drafting a map of the air pollution in Katowice – the activity postponed due to numerous atmospheric falls impeding the collection of samples of the fallen dust contained in the air

2.5. Earth Day celebrations – presentation of students’ works accomplished within the Project, a scientific session with the participation of students, parents and invited guests (P).

2.6. Organizing a week of water purity; physico-chemical and biological examinations of water reserves in Katowice Forest Park; writing a report (P)

2.7. Producing information brochures regarding towns and regions which the schools participating in the Project come from: Galicia, Monforte, Lemos Valley, Piemont, Nole and Katowice, Silesia (WHP).

2.8. Presenting the Project realization results in the local environment during the World Day of Environment Protection celebrations with the participation of the media,  and presenting them on our school website (P).

3.    What activities have been planned for the school year 2004/2005 and what effects will be achieved?

The second work meeting of teachers and students in “A Pinguela” Monforte devoted to evaluating the results achieved so far and planning activities for the next year. The school principal’s study visit to “A Pinguela” Monforte, aimed at learning about forms and methods of realization of European education in Galicia schools. Teachers’ exchange between Nole and Katowice, aiming at broadening the students’ knowledge of our regions, as well as at improving the teachers’ and students’ language skills. Field workshops in forest areas and research expanding the knowledge of forest’s meaning for ecosystem will be carried out; there will be cleaning up actions and planting new trees. We are planning on making a set of cards (bookmarks or postcards) with pictures of native forest species, aimed at expanding and strengthening the knowledge in this field. Competitions for literary, poetic, art and photographic works regarding the realized activities will be held. We are going to carry out another evaluation survey, on the basis of which we will be able to assess the results of our actions concerning broadening the students’ knowledge of the themes in the Project. We will create a new website where we will present the effects of our actions and which also will be a site of our students’ debates regarding the tasks realized within the Project.

Final products: a calendar for 2005, a set of cards-bookmarks with pictures of forest species; a post-competition volume; the works of competitions’ winners; posters, VHS films; Power Point presentations documenting our students’ work; a website containing documents and a photo gallery; hundreds of set plants.

A degree of the Project’s development will be evaluated on teachers board meetings and students’ meetings held along with the celebrations of Regional Day, Forest Days, Earth Day, Poetry Day and the World Day of Natural Environment Protection. An important element of assessing our action will be another evaluation survey. The assessment results will allow constant modification of our actions, also within the realized syllabus.

Dissemination of the results and presentation of the experiences and products: presentations at meetings on Regional Day, Forest Days, Earth Day, Poetry Day and World Day of Environment Protection as well as during the scientific session with the participation of students, parents, invited guests and the local media; an exhibition of products and students’ work; presentation of documents on the website.

4.    The schedule of activities in the project for the school year  2004/2005.