Newsletter n °6 : News from Mediterranean « I, you , we , Mediterranean Citizens »

Mobility in : 8th – 14th May 2017 May 8th 2017 Arrival in Sicily

On May 8th, 2017, the totality of the European partners of the project « I, you, we, Mediterranean Citizens " found ourselves to Syracuse in the Sicily island in Italia for the fifth mixed exchange between pupils. Lidia Cageggi, the Italian coordinator and the families waited for us upon our arrival by bus in the school « . was represented by teachers Bozana Damjanic Majdak and Katjiana Petric, Greece represented by teachers Maria Ziouzia,Giorgos Mallios and Sofia Baltzi and their headmaster Ioannis Vartholomeos , represented by their headmaster Alfonso Javier Garrido and teachers Francisca Rodrìguez and Maria del Carmen and represented by teachers Chantal Chironnier, Bruno Michel and Létizia Allegrini.. May 9th 2017 Opening ceremony at the town hall « Palazzo Vermexio »

On Tuesday morning, we were welcomed in magnificent Palazzo Vermexio, city hall of the city of Syracuse. After a speech of the Mayor, the Headmaster of the school, Valeria and the coordinator Lidia, each of the countries paraded with his flag and sang its national anthem.

It was an intense and friendly moment, the beautiful Sicilian traditional costumes put us directly the mood. Once brought out of the city hall, we discovered the old town of Syracuse, Ortigia with its beautiful place and its narrow and alive alleys. May 9th 2017 Selene boat tour

We arrived on the quay where waited for the boat " Selene ". A Sicilian buffet (Arancini, pizza, caponata di melenzane) waited for us during the tour of the bay of Syracuse. Musee of Papyrus The Museum of papyrus Syracuse is the promoter of the project " the Restoration of the papyrus in Egypt ", managed by Corrado Basile, where diverse activities were realized: the restoration of the missions of the papyrus Egyptian Museum of Cairo since 1987. The pupils after the visit participated at a workshop.

Workshop: creation of a paper sheet The pupils were able to apply the ancestral method of creation of paper with the plant Papyrus. They left each with a copy. May 9th 2017 Tarentella Class at school

After this beautiful day, class of nursery school and primary school, waited for us to the school to present some Sicilian dances for example Tarentella. Further to this show, adults and european students were able to venture in this exercise supervised by Santina! May 10th 2017 Museo dei Pupi in

The Museum of Pupi is the first museum of puppet theater in . Since 1995 they carry on stage the Sicilian tradition of the work of Pupi by telling in the form of opera the history of Sicily. Since 2001 it was declared by Unesco, oral and immaterial heritage of the humanity. After the visit of the Museum, we were able to attend a puppet show. May 10th 2017 Pantalica At the end of morning, we went to the . This site counts more than 5 000 graves cut in the rock near careers open-air and dating for the main part of period between XIIIth and VIIth centuries BC. It is in the hinterland of Syracuse. This site was registered on the list of the world heritage of the humanity in 2005.

After this beautiful stroll, a small meal break in an agricoturismo farm. May 11th 2017 Saint John’s catacombs Thursday was dedicated to the archaeological remains of Syracuse, the morning began with the visit of catacombs. Pupils of the high schools of the city, presented the site in the form of theatrical and musical playlets. Close by, we then discovered the archaeological museum .

Paolo orsi Archaeological Museum May 11th 2017 Archaeological Park

The archaeological park of Syracuse includes Greek and Roman vestiges, in particular the famous Roman amphitheater which is still used for festivals of classic music today. After these beautiful discoveries, we had a picnic (several sorts of focaccia(flat Italian bread) were proposed to us, a delight!) in a park of " Papyrus " including various botanical and animal species in particular of the papyrus. After the time of the meal, the coordinators found themselves for the last meeting of the project, in the agenda : the quiz assessment, the album photo and the film of the project… May 11th 2017 Technopark To finish the day, we went not very far from the Greek theater to the Technopark of Archimède. In this beautiful park surrounded by the nature, 24 inventions are reproduced. The pupils were able to see how it worked, a beautiful way of approaching the concepts physical appearance of a point of view has a practice.

In the order some inventions of Archimède: one throws multiple arrow, a clock with water, one throws stone giant, a mechanical water pump. May 12th 2017 Ragusa Ibla Tour

On Friday morning, we left by bus, direction Ragusa. This busy site since Antiquity. The city is separated in two parts the medieval districts " Ragusa Ibla " and the new districts " Ragusa Nuova " (baroque). In 1693, a terrible earthquake destroyed a big part of the city. Ibla keeps its medieval stamp, dominated by the dome Saint-Georges (Duomo San Giorgio), with its tortuous alleys and its houses and baroque churches. May 12th 2017 Chocolate factory

The lunch took place in an inn of the village of , just next to a chocolate factory. The chocolate of Modica, an Italian product known for its taste and its authenticity has very former origins going back to the Spanish domination of Sicily when the invaders introduced the production into the "County of Modica", formerly the biggest of the Kingdom of Sicily. The chocolate made to Modica, contrary to what arrived in the rest of the world, never passed in the industrial production, by protecting so in the course of the centuries a really authentic flavor being the result of the quality of ingredients and craft manufacturing. These elements cost in the chocolate of Modica, the naming IGP (Protected Geographical Indication). May 12th 2017 Petite pause à la mer

At the end of the day, we had the opportunity to take advantage a few hours of one of the beautiful beaches of Sicily. The students and the teachers were able to relax and to appreciate the air sea. May 13th 2017 Euralio Castel The last day, we visited the fortress called castle of Euralio which was of strategic importance for Denys de Syracuse. With its 15 000 m2 of surface, it is considered the most complex military fortress of the Greek history. The castle raises itself on the hill of Epipoles, one of the five districts where the city was divided. This construction began in 5th century before JC.

Maniace Castel Later, we made to the castle Maniace , a castle-citadel situated in the Sicilian city of Syracuse. It is built on a headland since the XIIIe century under the reign of emperor Fréderic II of saint Empire. May 13th 2017 Ortigia Tour

To know better the old center of Syracuse, Ortigia, we traveled narrow streets and discovered numerous churches and monuments of diverse periods.

Workshop: orienteering race in Ortigia The students of each country participated in an orienteering race. It was necessary to find various places of the city by turning on a card and to take photos in every stage. May 13th 2017 Farewell party At the beginning of the evening, the parents, the teachers and the Italian headmaster, waited for us to the school for evening. Songs and typical dances were presented to us. The moms had prepared a lot of Sicilian specialities, a real pleasure for the eyes and papillae. Then a dance and a cake ended this beautiful evening. ERASMUS TEAM May 14th 2017 Departure

After a beautiful week, it's time to leave, thank you again to the Sicilian team for this warm welcome ! Impressions from GREECE

Maria Ziouzia The last meeting in Italy had a challenge to face. It had to conclude a two-year project in a memorable way. Did it meet our expectations? It sure did! Even more so, it surpassed them! We all left Syracuse with the best impressions thanks to the efforts of the teachers, the parents and the students who did their best to make the week we spent there an unforgettable one. I’ ll always remember the farewell party at school with the traditional Sicilian music, the dancing and the banquet the parents prepared for us; the Erasmus cake which gave a spectacular note to it. I’ ll always carry Arethusa with me to remember Ortigia and the wonderful evenings we spent there all together. Besides the excellent organization and the good practices of all the previous meetings it is the warmth and hospitality of the people that Constantinos : made the difference. The looks, the hugs, the kisses, the tears of The journey to Italy was one of the best things I had ever emotion is what resounds still in my mind and my heart. done. The trip was nice but a little boring. The week in Thank you once again for everything you did for us! Siracusa was amazing. The first day we went a walk in Ortigia a beautiful island near the city, which had a lot Yannis Vartholomeos ( Headmaster ) Ancient Greek monuments too. Also I was impressed the The organization of the meeting met our expectations by offering us a fourth day that we went to Ragusa. Furthermore the fantastic week. The acquaintance with the cultural heritage of the goodbye party was fantastic. We have a lot fun with our region, the gastronomy, nature and architecture impressed us. What new good friends. Also I have to say that the kids and their will be engraved forever in our memory is the warm smile, the good families were very hospitable, so make our trip easier and mood and the excellent hospitality of teachers and parents. I can say better. In my opinion Erasmus is an unforgettable that our last meeting was the perfect closing of our two-year experience and a choice that I will never regret!! ❤❤❤❤ partnership. I want to thank from my heart the colleagues and parents for the hospitality they offered to both our students and to us. Eleni : Thanks Valeria, Lidia, Santina! You were all fantastic !! My trip to Syracuse was awesome! The host family was very nice to me.The highlight for me was the hiking through Pantalica gorge! Impressions from CROATIA Croatian Impressions

We started our journey to Syracuse on May 8th, a group of six students and two teachers. As our plane was taking off from Split, we were becoming more and more excited. Some of our students were even flying for the first time. After switching two planes, we finally landed in . Our transport was waiting for us and soon we were on our way to a beautiful Italian city, Syracuse. We were a bit nervous and excited at the same time, mostly because our students did not know what to expect as they have never met their hosts before. However, as soon as we got off the bus, all of our worries disappeared. The moment we saw friendly faces of our hosts, we were relieved and we knew that we are in good hands. Our students were soon headed to their hosts’ homes, and Lidia took the two of us to the restaurant to meet with other teachers from partner countries. We were really happy to see each other again and we spent a very pleasant evening together. After the dinner, we went to the hotel to get some much-needed rest before starting an eventful week. The following day we were invited to a reception with the mayor of Syracuse. After the breakfast at the hotel, we went to the City Hall where we spent a rather pleasant morning with the mayor. Following the reception, the headmistress Valeria welcomed us at the local school and the meeting was opened by playing the National anthems of participating countries. After the official programme was over, we decided to relax by drinking the real Italian espresso at the wonderful Piazza Duomo (this piazza was the scenery of the most known scene of movie ‘Malena’ with Monica Belluci). In the afternoon we walked the streets of the old part of the city, we took a boat ride, and visited Papyrus Museum where our students tested their skills in the ancient art of making papyrus . On Wednesday we went to Sortino, a small town about an hour’s drive from Syracuse. There we visited Museo dei Pupi – The Puppet Museum and watched a theatrical performance. From Sortino we went to Pantalica. Pantalica is an important natural area located on a limestone promontory surrounded by a deep gorge formed by the and Calcinara rivers between the towns of and Sortino in south-eastern Sicily. It is an important nature reserve, with a variety of local flora and fauna and natural caves. It is located on a 10 km long ancient road that connects Siracusa and Vizzini. The Necropolis of Pantalica is a collection of cemeteries with rock-cut chamber tombs dating from the 7th to the 13 th centuries BC. Together with the city of Syracuse, Pantalica was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. On Thursday morning we had a tour of the catacombs, the Paolo Orsi Archaeological Museum and the walk to the Archimedes Technopark. Archimedes, a well-known mathematician and physicist, was from Syracuse. He had lived there for most of his life and he was even killed there during the siege of Syracuse by the Roman Republic. His inventions were crucial for the defence of the city; it is believed that he invented the catapult and the system of mirrors that would direct the sun's rays on the invaders' boats and burn them. Thanks to his inventions the city resisted the siege for three years. However, Archimedes was slain at the conclusion of the siege by a Roman soldier even though the Roman general Marcellus gave clear instructions to his soldiers to spare his life. He was allegedly so focused on his calculations that he told the Roman soldier to leave him alone. The soldier took that as an insult and killed him in anger.

Impressions from SPAIN

Spanish Impressions For those who have been planning, organising, working on the different activities at schools...for the last two school years, Syracusa has meant the finish line of this race. It has been the final mobility of our project and both teachers and students were eager to take off. Our stay on the island was even better than we had expected. There was no detail I could miss. Our hosts, families and the Italian staff, did their best to make our week there perfect. All of us enjoyed breathtaking sceneries and landscapes, and learnt part of our history, which has made us feel Mediterrranean citizens: castles with details dating back from the Spanish King Fernando of Aragon, Greek and Roman ancient buildings, the famous Dyonisius’ ear legend, or even the Necropolis and Acropolis Pantalica. Our students felt as if they had been at home, and for sure they have enjoyed one of their most beautiful experiences in their lives. This project has meant an open door to the Mediterranean countries, a door to Europe. Impressions from ITALY

It's the end of an amazing journey around some wonderful countries of our Mediterrenean Europe, together we have discovered how simililar our cultures are, our common roots have made us feel more than friend, more than mates, more than partners..... We had fun, we did interesting workshops, we danced and played different sports, but most of all we got to know each other. Spain, France, Croatia, Greece and finally Italy, we did a lot of things together, a lot of work for everyone was involved in the mobility but the best satisfaction was the feeling everybody kept in his heart, the joy and the tears both in the students' and even in the teachers' eyes. Days and days full of unforgettable experiences but never enoough for the desire to spend more and more time together. no time to be tired, no time to be bored, "I, You, We Mediterrenean Citizens" enjoyed every moment of our time together, wherever we were, no matter what we did. In Siracusa we walked on the streets our common Greek ancestors did, we dicovered the little Islet where Siracusan history began, we had fun in the crystal clear waters nearby.... I'm so grateful I met you all, working with my students outside the classroom was one of the things I loved most of all. The project gave us the opportunity to learn by doing, as I already told you back from one of our mobilities one of my students told me: "Teacher, now I know why I need to learn English", now I know why we have to involve as many students as possible in our projects; 5 days with foreign students in a foreign country are worthier than a whole year inside the classroom. I am also grateful for my students' families, without them, my collegues and my Headmistress, nothing would have been possible. Thank you all my dear partners... Impressions from FRANCE Létizia : Our meeting in Syracuse ended our adventure in this beautiful project " I, you, we, Mediterranean Citizens ". The Italian team, the parents, the students, the teachers, the coordinator Lidia and the headmaster Valeria, welcomed us in a very warm way. This week was rich in cultural discoveries: the old center of Syracuse (Ortigia), the archaeological park, the museum of the Papyrus, the necropolis of Pantalica, the catacombs, the gastronomy, the traditional dances, … I really appreciated the organization of this meeting which respected perfectly the theme of our project. The implication of the whole educational community was impressive. Bravo to all! The time of meeting allowed us to establish together the quiz of the end of project to estimate our collaboration. This end of project ended splendidly in Sicily, moments rich in emotion will stay in my memories for ever, thank you again!

Our last exchange ERASMUS to Syracuse completed this beautiful project in a warm and brotherly way. We were welcomed in this magnificent city by our Italian colleagues who had prepared for us a cultural program just like their country: marked with history and with sun. The welcome in the city hall of Syracuse was a moment strong in emotion; at the same time solemn and friendly. The visits were magnificent and the very enriching program. Our stay was very pleasant and we were able to discover, as well as our pupils, a history, a culture so interesting and so close to ours finally. Our journey showed that our pupils were in capacity to adapt themselves, to live another culture and that they could take certain profit of this exchange The objective was reached our pupils with great school difficulties were able to participate in activities which were able to improve their cultural level and improve their consciousness of Mediterranean citizen We shall keep very good memories of the visits, strolls, workshops and Sicilian cooking……incomparable….. We are glad to thank all the Italian professors and their headmaster Valeria for their kindness and their welcome. Chantal and Bruno To estimate our collaboration for two years in this European project. We developed two questionnaires one for the pupils and the other one for the professors. The purpose is to verify the impact of our project to compared with our first objectives of departure.

Our three main objectives were: - to avoid the dropout school, - to favor the learnings by proposing an innovative project, - to facilitate the construction of an European culture .

Assessment from the point of view of the students (105 answers) :

The assessment of this questionnaire is very positive: - 52,4 % of the students did not know this project type, - the proposed activities were a success (mobilities, hospitality, workshops, the communication with the partners, eTwinning), less than 12 pupils on 105 did not appreciate one of these activities. - 71,4 % found the work with the interesting artist and 71 % saw one of Olivier BEDU's works. - 81 % appreciated worked on a innovating project ,ERASMUS. - 74 % wanted to be a better students or partially, - 80 % were able to work them languages and socials skills, - 96 % were better able to understand the Mediterranean and european cultures or partially, The only drawback is maybe on the mobilities: the device allowed 56 % of the participating pupils to the project to realize a mobility in Europe.

Assessment from the point of view of the teachers (41 answers) :

The results of the qcm of the professors is also encouraging: - 40 people on 41 found that our cooperation was good or very good (with our colleagues, the local authorities, students' families, the partners), -75,6 % found the work with Olivier BEDU interesting and 53,7 innovating, - 92,7 % noted that the students worked languages and socials skills, - 100 % think that this program allowed the pupils to understand better the cultures and lifestyle of our partners, - 46,3 % consider that they changed their methods of work and 48,8 % partially, - 92,5 % think that the objectives of departure were reached.

These assessments show that the objectives of departure of our project " I, you, we, Mediterranean Citizens " were reached. The ERASMU S+ KA2 program allowed us to work with our pupils in a different and innovative way.

97,6 % of the teachers and 94,3 % of the students wish to reproduce this beautiful experience! Thanks to all for this great success!