I ACTIVITY: FIRST MEETING (12th October 2023)
The welcome from the host was extremely pleasant. We had the opportunity to meet the school director, teachers, students, as well as members of the Parents' Council of the First Gymnasium Didymoteicho.. The students of the school approached our students without hesitation. The ways of communication were varied, but the communication was successful. Holding hands, they sat next to each other, there were hugs as well as communication in English in the form of familiar words (hi, hello, friend, Serbia, Greece, etc.)
After the address of the Greek project coordinator to the participants, we moved on to the next activity of making mosaics. The atmosphere of getting to know each other was extremely pleasant and ended with the traditional Greek sirtaki dance.
II ACTIVITY : MAKING MOSAIC (12th October 2023)
Before starting the activity of making mosaic, we watched a presentation about the history of mosaics. We learned what a mosaic is, how it is created and had the opportunity to see the most famous mosaic works on the territory of Didymoteicho.
The creation of the mosaic, to the great delight of the participants, began under the guidance of art teacher Georgia Ntalagiorgou. Pieces of stone of different colors, tweezers combined with glue attracted the attention of our students and parents. The students, with the support and help of their parents or on their own, started making mosaics, the Erasmus logo. Persistence in work indicated that our students really liked this activity. Again and again they took pebbles one by one, dipped them in glue and placed them on the base. In the making of mosaics, precision is also required, the classification of stone by color, because the different colors of the letters that make up the word Erasmus were implied. An exceptional exercise of attention, concentration and fine motor movements of the fingers of the hand. Students and parents as well as participating partners were satisfied with this activity and it proved to be an excellent way of connecting the group, in which each member builds a unique, complete image of the mosaic with each movement. The mosaic remained as a product of the activity and will be hung in the school hall.
III ACTIVITY: SPORT & ARTISTIC ACTIVITIES (13th Oktober 2023)
We started the second day of our stay in Greece with an interesting lecture on chess. Specialist chess instructor Dimitris Tsagkoudis spoke about the application of chess to people with developmental disabilities and disabilities. If you thought blind people couldn’t play chess, you were wrong. It is absolutely possible, because there are special chessboards adapted for the blind. It is also important to say each move out loud so the opponent knows. People with different types of disabilities can play chess with the help of an assistant. And the latest pilot project concerns chess and people with high-functioning autism, where this sport has proven to be a good choice. The students had the opportunity to witness a chess game between two blindfolded students, trying to understand the difficulties of visually impaired people.
IV ACTIVITY: DECORATING T- SHIRTS (13th Oktober 2023)
Under the guidance of art teacher Georgia Ntalagiorgou, we started decorating t-shirts with an interesting print technique. The activity was very interesting, both for students and parents, as well as partners in the project. Everyone got a t-shirt that they decorated according to their own preferences, and different molds were offered.
V ACTIVITY: MAKING MOSAIC FROM NATURAL MATERIALS (13th Oktober 2023)
At the end of the day we went to the hill where the final activity took place. Mr. Janis Sarsakis welcomed us on the hill itself, who introduced us to the rich history of the place, and then took us on a walk around the castle. The Red Cross of Didymotiecho took care of our safety.
Making mosaics from materials found in nature; cones, cotton flower parts, leaves, branches was really exciting. Creative expression in a beautiful atmosphere on a hill overlooking the whole city gave artists inspiration for extraordinary works of art. Art teacher Georgia Ntalagiorgou was also in charge for this creative activity.
VI GUIDED TOUR TO FOLKLORE MUSEUM OF DIDYMOTEICHO (14th Oktober 2023)
The folklore museum of Didymoteicho is a real discovery. We discovered the rich history of the place through the interesting stories of the museum's curator. So many inspired things supported by exhibits in the museum made the visit an unforgettable experience. At the very end, there was an equalizer – a creative workshop on making unique bracelets. All visitors, even those less successful in making bracelets, really enjoyed.
VI GUIDED TOUR TO BYZANTINE MUSEUM (14th Oktober 2023)
Bracelet making continued on the way to the Byzantine Museum. In the introductory part, we had a presentation of Didymotica in the Byzantine era. Then we looked at the museum display which is really contemporary and unique. Full of impressions, we left the museum richer for another wonderful experience.
