"EUROKIDS: Knowing me, Knowing you!" What better title for a Comenius project! A teacher exchange visit recently took place between St Sebastian Primary A in Qormi and Sint-Jan School in Lommel, Belgium?
Ottilia Terribile and Marthese Baldacchino were greeted heartily by the headmaster, Danny Huijsmans and all the teachers, staff and pupils of Sint-Jan in Lommel. They were treated like family and took an active part in all activities, both at school and out.
In Lommel, the two teachers were interviewed by journalists from two local papers who were interested in the project, what it entailed and how the pupils were involved. The fact that, to a certain extent, people in Malta are so island-minded, has helped the Maltese children working on this project to realise that there is a world beyond the water, that other children go to school like they do, do lots of different things and can communicate with them.
They do so through e-mails, photos and cards and any other medium related to the theme chosen each year. The current theme is "Our Town", so they are not only getting to know each other, but also getting to know more about each other's towns and villages.
The two Maltese teachers also spent some time going round the classes, taking part in the lessons thus gaining new experiences from both teachers and their pupils. A day was spent in another school in Ghent, where Ms Terribile's partner, Ms Arlette, teaches. This was a touching experience as the two teachers hadn't communicated, except via e-mail, for over a year.
It was fantastic to see the children recognising Ms Terribile and calling out her name in the school's corridor - "Ottilia has come to visit us." It was as though they knew her very well, thanks to the contact with her class through the project.
As all good things come to an end, so did the adventure in Lommel. A farewell programme was prepared for the Maltese teachers, which included songs sung by the children, accompanied by the headmaster on his guitar.
The guests were given gifts and mementoes. The teachers said they truly found another family in Belgium. Well, maybe two, since they also felt very much at home in Ghent.