Environmental Europe
Last March, most of the school activity was stopped by the COVID-19 lockdown.
Therefore, we haven't been able to carry out such interesting activities as the
ecological cosmetics workshop, the orchard-garden, the calculation of the school's ecological footprint and the photo exhibition.
However, a group of 29 students from several ESO groups of IES Sabinar have participated with the Andalusian Schools for the Climate
programme in the elaboration of murals with the motto: Un futuro más verde... por crear
(that is, "A greener future... to be created”) for June 5, World Environment Day.
Given the current situation concerning the COVID-19 health crisis that is hitting several European countries, among them those of which the partner schools of this project are representative, and the uncertainty associated to it for the forthcoming months, we feel prompted to inform our colleagues from our partner schools:
- Istituto Comprensivo Mazzarino (Italy)
- Scoala Gimnaziala Mihai Eminescu, Rosiorii de Vede (Romania)
- Jüri Gümnaasium (Estonia)
- Liemers College, Zevenaar (Netherlands)
- RSG ‘t Rijks, Bergen op Zoom (Netherlands)
that the exchange week at IES Sabinar, Roquetas de Mar (Spain) scheduled for 3 to 9 May 2020 is CANCELLED.
We will receive instructions by our National Agency in due time and expect to be able to carry out the planned activity in the first term of the next school year, provided that we are allowed to extend the project’s end date.
The Day of the Wetlands
was, in fact, the first of a set of trips to the Ribera de la Algaida
that we arranged
for this second term:
- On February 19, we carried out the first Coastal Inspection Day with all the teachers and student groups that signed up for the programme.
- Another trip was organised on March 2 for the younger student groups of 1º ESO E and 1º ESO F.
- The following day - March 3 - yet another Coastal Inspection was carried out in ​​the Punta Entinas-Sabinar Natural Area with almost all Adult Education student groups and teachers.
On the Day of the Wetlands, February 2, some teachers and students went on a trip through the Ribera de la Algaida with Spanish NGO Ecologistas en Acción. We made taray stakes and planted tarays and sea ​​parsley to restore an area near the Mirador de la Posidonia.
But this second term we carried out other activities that are relevant to our project:
- We signed up
for the “Give life to your batteries” campaign by Ecopilas,
to set
up a collection point for batteries
at the school. We also
distributed mini-containers to teachers.
- We started a school
vegetable garden
near the gym. We cleaned and marked the ground with
students from 1º ESO F.
- In March we got the electricity bills from the school secretary and began the study of the school's energy consumption in the face of a reduction plan for the coming years.
On Friday 8 November 2019, at Kalevi Spordihall in Tallinn, the Estonian Eco-School student group took part in the international Clean World Day conference, organised in collaboration with the Let’s Do It Foundation, who have mobilised 36 million positive-minded, action-orientated people in 169 countries.
On this day, our students had an opportunity to learn:
- How to become sustainable with the practical steps and tools and have impact on the quality of your life.
- Come and learn how to implement programmes based on the Clean Up Day experience.
- Discover the possibility of sustainable business and empower yourself to impact the policy-making as an active citizen.
Only two weeks after the last teachers meeting in Estonia, the fourth student exchange and conference was wonderfully hosted by Mihai Eminescu
Secondary School
in Rosiorii de Vede, Romania, during the second week of October.
All partner school teams arrived between Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 October. The first meeting was on Monday morning at Hotel Edma, in Alexandria, where they all took a bus to school and attended the official opening of the project meeting. After lunch, they visited a photovoltaic power
plant,
then they enjoyed some free time to visit the town. The teachers had a welcome dinner at a local restaurant while the students were having dinner with their host families.
On Tuesday morning the student conference took place at the school, where all the teams presented the results of
their survey on urban transport.
The local students also presented their project material about deforestation in Romania,
an environmental problem in our country. In the afternoon, the teachers held a working session
to discuss the stages in the project so far and
the next student meeting in Spain. The students attended some workshops
on environmental issues.
The next day everybody had to wake up early and leave for Brasov, quite a long journey that took approximately five hours. After visiting the city, we all took a bus to Moeciu, where we had dinner and stayed at Nicoleta Guesthouse. On Thursday 10 we departed for Rasnov Fortress after breakfast and visited Dino Park. In the afternoon the students enjoyed some leisure and sport activities
in the pension park. In the meantime, the teachers met again for coordination work.
The next morning we visited Bran Castle and drove back to Rosiorii de Vede in the afternoon, right in time for the farewell dinner party with teachers, students and
parents.
All partner school teams flew back home on Saturday 11, leaving wonderful memories of an unforgettable week.
The younger students at Jüri Gümnaasium built the first insect hotel
since summer 2019 in the school yard, with the help of parents and older Eco-Schools
students.
Our students will never forget the week they have spent in Bergen op Zoom. The student teams from Spain, Romania and Estonia arrived on Sunday 5; the Dutch team from Liemers College arrived on time on Monday morning, whereas the Italians came later in the evening.
The opening was introduced by Lambert van de Wiel, the deputy head, at the school Theaterzaal.
After a coffee break we went on a walking tour of the school premises. At 10.00 a.m. the student conference
started with the first round of presentations by each school team, followed by a coffee break enlivened by a school music band. The second round of presentations focused on local food
- the main topic of this student conference. Right after lunch we went on a walking tour around Bergen
op Zoom and visited the town hall.
On Tuesday, after coordinator Gerry Matthijssen's introduction to the programme at school, the Sicilian team presented their school and their slideshow on local food. Then we took a bus to Sabic,
a plastic factory, where the participants had different tours and workshops in three groups. At 15.30 we all went back to school and the students enjoyed some free time together before being picked up.
On Wednesday the students attended some lessons within the school TTO (i.e. bilingual) programme. After a short coffee break the Italian student team gave a presentation on rainwater collection.
Then the Estonian team presented a slideshow on plastic research.
After lunch they attended a lecture by NGO Plastic Soup
Foundation.
As everyday after school, the students had some free time to hang out in town.
On Thursday we took a bus at school and went to visit Koppert
Biological Systems
in Berkel en Rodenrijs. We had lunch at Van der Valk Hotel in The Hague-Nootdorp. There the students attended three interesting lectures on several environment-related topics; then we spent an amusing afternoon doing several activities in The Hague.
On Friday, the students attended more classes while the teachers were holding a project coordination meeting
to organise next school year's activities. The participant students wrote a report to be evaluated by their teachers. After a final talk at school we all went for a walk along
the Zoom.
The students were free to go out with their packed lunch and had the time of their lives later in the evening at the dinner and farewell party
at school with their teachers and host families. All partner teams left Bergen op Zoom on Saturday morning following their own schedules.
Needless to say, every evening the accompanying teachers got together in town for dinner, enjoying our free time and building stronger bonds within the team.
The Spanish team could not be luckier. On our way to the student exchange in Bergen op Zoom, we spent a day in Brussels and visited the heart of the European Union on 4 May 2019-
the day the European institutions opened their doors to the public. Sheila, Claudia and Paula had this unique opportunity to step inside the European Parliament,
discover how it works and its benefits for all European citizens.Their Erasmus experience started in the best possible way.
Publication of a photo of the participant students is not yet allowed.