Third Leg of Comenius Project – England Day 1 – Thursday 16th October Twelve students from New Rickstones Academy welcomed students and staff from Italy, Poland and Portugal for the third leg of the Comenius Project. Our partner countries were met at the airport and then taken to meet their host families at New Rickstones Academy. Our students gathered in the library, ready to meet their partners. Students taking part in the project are Darcey Spenner, Matthew Brewer, Callum White, Amber Chudleigh, Katie Osborne, Anna Locke, Jessica Padbury, James Cameron, Oliver Thornton, Anna Pringle, Penny Tuffey and Kaja Karpowicz. Many of the students had met their exchange partners before, on previous legs of the project (Portugal 2013 and Italy 2014), so were happy to be reunited and see each other again. Students are able to remain part of the project over the course of several years and so enjoy being able to build up a rapport together over time.
Day 2 – Friday 17th October On Friday the red carpet was laid for the students’ first morning in school. A key part of being involved in the Comenius project is a commitment to address the language, culture, history, healthy lifestyles and sport issues relating to each participating country. For this leg of the project, our partner schools produced projects on ‘Jobs of the Future’ and gave presentations. During the morning students from our partner countries gave presentations.
On Friday afternoon the group were treated to our first trip. We were accompanied by Mrs Johnson, Miss Triggs and Miss Fleuty. There was a short coach journey to the town of Colchester, where we met the Mayor of Colchester, Cllr John Elliot, and the Mayoress, his wife Mrs Janet Elliot, at Colchester Town Hall.
The Mayor officially welcomed the Comenius project and we were given a tour of the historic Town Hall building. This building is symbolic of Colchester’s long and varied history. The Comenius students and staff split off into two groups for the tour and each group was shown rooms such as the impressive ‘moot hall’ and council chambers. Colchester’s history stretches back to Roman Britain, which began when the romans invaded in 43AD. There are many items of significance at the Town Hall that reflect this history. For example, the huge stained glass windows of the council chambers depict the famous figures St Helena, Colchester’s saint, and Claudius, the Roman emperor. There was also a reception, during which representatives from each country exchanged gifts with the Mayor and Mayoress. A student from each country also signed the official visitors’ book at the Town Hall.
After our visit to Colchester Town Hall we walked down to the newly-refurbished Colchester Castle. This Castle is actually of Norman origin, but again has historical references to Colchester’s earlier position in Roman Britain. Students from both New Rickstones and our partner countries very much enjoyed dressing up in costumes of the time periods that form the castle’s extensive history.
We also visited the Hollytrees and Natural History museums as part of our visit to Colchester. Hollytrees is situated inside an eighteenth-century house and includes lots of artefacts and information about life in the eighteenth-century. The Natural History museum offers information about the local environment in Colchester, all the way from the Ice Age up to today.
After our museum visits, as we waited for the coach to take us back to Witham, it was great to see all students chatting together. Throughout the trip the students were always keen for the opportunity to sit down together, talk and get to know each other more. They did not let their four different spoken languages get in the way and overcame language barriers by swapping key phrases in each language. A particularly entertaining conversation ensued when the English students attempted to explain and translate the phrase ‘photobombing’. During the visit one student remarked that her partner was really similar to her and that they were well-matched together. This made for noisy coach rides, which was pleasing to hear as it showed how the students had assimilated themselves into one group, rather than remaining as four separate groups.
Day 3 – Saturday 18th October On Saturday the Comenius students travelled to the iconic historic city of Cambridge. We were accompanied by Mrs Johnson and Mr Boileau. We walked our feet off whilst seeing all the city sights! Whilst in Cambridge we packed in lots of sightseeing and activities.
We rode boats on the river and explored the beautiful architecture of the city. Cambridge has a strong link to the British education system, housing the world-famous University of Cambridge. The university dates back to 1209 and is part of Cambridge’s fascinating history.
Day 4 – Sunday 19th October On Sunday we enjoyed another excursion, to London, our capital city. Again we went with Mrs Johnson and Mr Boileau and did lots of walking. We took in the many famous sights of this iconic city, such as Tower Bridge. We rode a boat on the River Thames and even managed to fit in some shopping time. A particularly poignant part of the trip was a visit to the installation ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ at the Tower of London. This installation for ‘Tower of London Remembers’ is part of the commemoration for the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. The famous ceramicist Paul Cummins (with setting by stage designer Tom Piper) has filled the Tower’s famous moat with 888,246 ceramic poppies. The sight of the poppies is both impressive and haunting and it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to see it.
Day 5 – Monday 20th October It was back to school for more presentations on Monday morning. It takes confidence to stand up in front of others and present your ideas, especially people you are only just getting to know! All the students who presented did really well and we have found this to be an interesting if nerve-wracking aspect of Comenius.
In the afternoon the group again boarded the coach for a visit to The Imperial War Museum in Duxford. This impressive aviation museum stretches across many large hangars that house a collection of memorabilia and vehicles that address the history of conflicts from the First World War to the present day. Accompanying us on the trip with Mrs Johnson, Mr Boileau and Miss Fleuty. We had some very keen aviation and history enthusiasts amongst our group of students, who were very keen to explore this museum. There were many things for us to see and interact with during the visit. The group was also able to step aboard some of the airplanes, such as the famous Concorde, which retired in 2003.
Day 6 – Tuesday 21st October Students from our partner countries enjoyed another morning in school, attending lessons in a range of subjects, which gave them an opportunity to see what life at an English school is like. There was an array of subjects on offer, including a Food Technology lesson making scones with jam and cream, which is definitely a classic English delicacy! Our exchange partners followed a recipe to make the scones and then cooked them in the oven. The real treat came as the students sliced their scones in half and added jam and cream, before tucking into their baked delights!
After their morning in school, the students were treated to pizza for lunch, before heading off together for a fun afternoon of bowling with Mrs Johnson and Mr Cooper. All students had a fantastic afternoon and enjoyed this memorable and special treat on their final afternoon together.
It was back to school for the evening for a special dinner with everyone, including students, staff and host families. This was followed by closing celebration assembly, to mark the end of a really successful and exciting leg of the Comenius project 2014. Gifts and certificates were exchanged and the occasion gave everyone the opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the success of this leg of the project.
Day 7 – Wednesday 22nd October Students arrived at school on Wednesday morning noticeably sad, as they had woken up for their last morning together. The students and staff from Portugal had an early flight, so they had to leave before school started. Everyone else spent a little time together in the morning before our partner students were whisked away to the airport. We have enjoyed a really successful Comenius project and our students are looking forward to going to Poland next year, for the next stage of the project. We thank Mrs Johnson for her hard work in organising the project and families and teachers who hosted students from our partner countries. Being part of this project is a fantastic opportunity and we would encourage other students to get involved in opportunities like these that may come along in the future.