Project meeting in Brzeszcze, POLAND

~ 16^th to 22^nd of May 2011~

In May 2011, we were invited to Gimnazjum nr 2 in Brzeszcze, Poland  in order to pursue the further actions - the presentation of traditional games and activities from countries participating in the project, and thus learning about their culture and folklore, to take part in flora and fauna exhibition of Brzeszcze community, participate in classes and bird-watching with ornithologists. As we established earlier students slept in their peers’ houses and the teachers in a hotel in Pszczyna.

On Sunday teachers, students and parents visited Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa - the most famous shrine to the Virgin Mary in Poland and the country's greatest place of pilgrimage - for many its spiritual capital.

On Monday all students and teachers were welcomed by the headmistress Krystyna Cieplińska and vice deputy Malgorzata Janowicz-Pająk. The guests were welcomed with bread and salt – the traditional Slavic custom. Accompanied by Polish teachers, all students and teachers toured around Brzeszcze commune. In the territory of the town and commune of Brzeszcze there are many monumental and interesting objects being witnesses of the stormy history of this land. Very interesting is the wooden St. Martin church from 1692 in Jawiszowice. The main altar was made in about 1700 and the side altars come from the 19th century. Here is also the rococo style pulpit and stone font with a folk character, made surly in the 17th century. The church in Jawiszowice was included in the Wooden Architecture Route of the Malopolskie Province. Being in Brzeszcze worthy to see is also the neo baroque St. Urban church from the years 1874 – 1876 with a baroque main altar made in 1892.

The parents and teachers organized an integration meeting where students played traditional games, learnt about Polish traditions and performed some music. Yummy grilled meat was served by the parents who showed culinary art. This event was also organized by teachers with the participation of the mayor.

On Tuesday Comenius project participants took part in "Europe Day", an event where Polish students presented the Greek dance Zorba to which the students prepared a multimedia presentation of the countries participating in this event. There was also prepared a corner with a traditional food of all countries participating in the project. The international teams of the students participated in the competition concerning the European Union. The event was attended by representatives of the Parliament, education, local authorities and as well as students and citizens of Brzeszcze. In the afternoon we visited Pszczyna where we visited the castle and the bison reserve. In the afternoon teachers and students spent their time in the house of one of the students where we could taste traditional homemade dishes.

On Wednesday we went for a trip   to the former capital of Poland - Cracow where we could see Kraków Old Town one of the most famous old districts in Poland today. We could not miss St. Mary's Basilica, particularly famous for its wooden altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss. We also saw Cloth Hall one of the city's most recognizable icons. Cloth Hall was the source of a variety of exotic imports from the East – spices, silk, leather and wax – while Kraków itself exported textiles, lead, and salt from the Wieliczka Salt Mine, which we visited too.
      On Thursday all participants met at the school where students presented traditional games and dances. Some of them practise during the integration meeting. In the afternoon we visited Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau. The preserved, authentic Memorial consists of two parts of the former concentration camp: Auschwitz I and Auschwitz ll-Birkenau. A guided visit made it possible to understand this unique place more fully.
The dramatic authenticity of this place lends exceptional significance to the educational activities carried out there, stretching between the tragedy of Auschwitz and vexing contemporary problems.