SEPS + EPIE
SEPS about Sustainability for European Primary Schools – SEPS is a child friendly project about sustainability for European primary schools and EPIE is an European project for Primary schools about Inclusive Education.
A happy new year for all our dear colleagues, parents and pupils from all our partner schools.
This bulletin brings messages for all our partner school pupils, parents and teachers.
Dear students and colleagues from the schools who are interested and who already participate in our project on inclusion and sustainability.
Our partnership and our progress.
Unfortunately, there has been some miscommunication. Some new partner schools have used the information from some schools to make contacts. Unfortunately, this included some outdated information, such as telephone numbers and email addresses of employees who have been given another position.
To prevent this, we once again appeal to revise the school information if necessary
It is remarkable that the directors and/or coordinators find it quite a difficult task to take care of the project in addition to all the administration and coordination via the National Agencies. Fortunately, we find a lot of support together and not just with the applications.
The workload for these colleagues is quite significant, which is why we also receive a compliment from this side!
We hope that they will also receive support from colleagues within their institute. After all, we want to benefit and enjoy this accreditation period.
Our website.
It would be appreciated that all teachers, parents and other interested parties are informed of our Website and Bulletins, as it is our task according to the Grant to share information (dissidence obligation) about our project.
Our website now also contains some video clips of activities at our partner schools. Unfortunately, it took a while before this could be technically realized. With the help of Tomash and Eva, some more clips can now be presented. It’s worth checking them out. Send the video recording to to Diana Brouwer and Anton Verwey.
Pupil’s exchanges, Coincy France.
The first student exchange of our collaborative project to Coincy in France took place in the fall. The children from Steinheid visited the French school. They had a great week. It was a celebration of recognition because these two schools have worked together before. In addition to the joint education lessons, there were also some excursions. The visiting children from Germany stayed with their class friends and very hospitable host families, which allowed them to experience French culture even better. It was a successful visit and the invitation to make a return visit to Steinheid was gratefully accepted.
More exchanges to come:
A number of visits are planned in the second half of this school year, such as a visit to the school in Rabat in Malta, Kolindros Greece, Braga in Portugal, Alpedrete in Spain and Houten in the Netherlands.
There is a difference with the current Erasmus+ project and the previous Erasmus project. In addition to working with contracts that had been established with schools before implementation started, the budgets were also much larger for, for example, exchange programs.
In the current Erasmus+ project, the collaborating schools have again included the exchange programs in their plans. After all, we want our children to experience the students of the partner schools and their living situation. According to the participating schools, it is essential to work together. This can often be done digitally, but meeting each other in reality is essential for our project and it fits perfectly with our project objectives.
At the school, the visiting students are received and guided by the buddies from the group they are in that week. In many cases, the buddies come from the host families. As a result, there is a much deeper relationship between the children. Before the visit and afterwards, there is pleasant mutual contact between the students and their families.
It has been agreed that host families will receive a small compensation through the host partner school of the visiting partner schools.
The advantage is that, given the more limited budget and the increased travel costs, we can now still realize our exchanges.
It is understandable that some smaller schools have difficulty providing accommodation for all children, but it is more pleasant that these schools also manage to find sufficient host families.
It may happen that groups have to be at the airport early because their departure flights are early in the morning, which may be a reason to book a hotel at the airport.
Many children keep in touch with their host family after their visit. It is remarkable that the parents of these children are also open to stepping forward as host parents. It has a very positive twist.
During the previous project, there was a small school in Karres in Austria. They did not have enough host families at school. The director of this school found parents who had opened a small hotel in the village willing to accommodate visitors at a greatly reduced price. This was of course a special situation. A meeting is always held at the school with the host parents to make agreements. For example, it is agreed that the children will play together and agreements are made about getting to know the family situations. A true experience for the children visiting. It is also agreed to have contact with the parents at home via WhatsApp etc. before dinner.
A small request.
A small request to visiting teachers for job shadowing: contact the school you are visiting at an early stage.
This of course also applies to visits with students. This allows the host schools to prepare to find host schools and suitable hotels or B&BS.
Request information.
If you would like more information about our project, please look at our website or contact your coordinator at your own school. A look at the previously published four Bulletins can also be revealing.
We wish everybody nice experiences wish all the coming traveling’s and the information out it.
Diana Brouwer (Director of de Plantage in Houten), Gunter Wild (Head of Primary School in Steinheid) and Anton Verwey (Coordinator of de Plantage).
As usual, stay safe and keep in touch, Anton Verwey.
Questions or remarks do not hesitate and contact Anton Verwey.
+31613698777 Whats App, call or mail afc.verwey@planet.nl