From 06 to 10th November 2017, the first Transnational project meeting for the Erasmus+ KA2 project “Small Scientists Across Europe” took place in Tourette Levens, France. The host institution was Ecole Maternelle Octave Tordo and the project coordinator, Mrs. Elisabeth Gustovic, along with the institution’s headmaster Herve Andrio, the children and the entire school staff welcomed the partners of the project: from Estonia Mrs. Jekaterina Golubtsova and Natalja Varkki, from Lituania Jolanta Gauciené and Jüraté Stakeliuniené, from Portugal Maria Francisca Ribeiro Duarte Pessoa and Joana Isabel Oliveira Minderico, from Romania Bistrita Clapou Crina Luminita, Muscari-Salvan Carmen Maria Veronica and Lazea Ionela Camelia, from Romania Scornicesti Cringus Loredana Mihaela and Patru Marian and from Turkey Ümit Yenisoy and Ibrahim Onur Gokdogan.
The children along with the teaching staff surprised the guests with banners and flags from all the partner countries and invited the guests to visit the kindergarten, the classrooms, and the primary school nearby and meet the children and teachers. All the guests were impressed by the beautiful traditional dances and songs performed by the children and rewarded them with applauses.
During the visit in the beautiful village of Tourette Levens, each partner presented their countries, cities and kindergartens to the group, exchanged information about the educational systems in each partner country, participated in workshops at school and also set specific deadlines for the future projects’ activities.
We want to give a special thank you to Mr. Mayor Alain Frère for his warm welcome at the City Hall and for organizing the meeting with the local authorities.
The visit to France also brought the guests to the Château – Musée d’histoire naturelle in Tourette Levens, but also to the beautiful Old city of Nice and spectacular Monaco.
We want to thank our hosts for the warm welcome and the beautiful surprises prepared.
First Learning, teaching, training project meeting in Coimbra, Portugal
Second Learning, teaching, training project meeting in Kaunas, Lithuania
Teachers from Estonia, France, Portugal, Romania and Turkey arrived on 15th April 2018 in Kaunas, Lithuania to participate at the Second learning, teaching and training activity meeting within the Erasmus + KA219 Small Scientists Across Europe Project (2017-1-FR01-KA219-037465). At the host school Kauno lopšelis – darželis „Giliukas”, Mrs. Jolanta Gaučienė, project coordinator from Lithuania and Mrs. Jūrate Stakeliūnienė, the school’s headmaster welcomed the teachers from partner countries: Ecole Maternelle Tordo in France (project coordinator) and another 5 kindergartens in Europe such as Lasteaed Põngerjas in Narva - Estonia, Kindergarten No. 3 Bistrita and Kindergarten Scornicesti - Romania and Huma Hatun Ozel Egitim Anaokulu from Yildirim - Turkey.
During the opening ceremony, the Lithuanian children surprised the participants with songs and dances specific to each of the countries present in the project. We were presented the Lithuanian educational system and when visiting the school and classrooms we observed that some of the groups adopted the R. Steiner pedagogy (Waldorf) and almost half the children have special education needs and the school offered a very well adapted environment for them.
For the remainder of the day, the guests visited the Old City of Kaunas and were introduced to many historical landmarks such as Kaunas Cathedral Basilica, Kaunas city museum, Vytautas' the Great Church of the Assumption of The Holy Virgin Mary, House of Perkūnas, St. Francis Xavier Church & Jesuit Monastery, Church of St. George Church and the Kaunas Castle.
On Tuesday, 17th April 2018, we had the opportunity to visit the Astronomical Observatory in Molėtai and get information about achievements of the world and Lithuanian astronomy, take a look at the telescopes and their equipment and also participate at a lecture, illustrated by wonderful photographs of various sky objects: planets, stars, nebulas, star clusters and galaxies, accompanied by space music. During the visit to Molėtai we found many historic information about this small city, the important families that lived in this area and visited ruins in the area. By climbing the 214 stairs of the observation tower in Labanoras Regional Park we observed the sights of the Lakajai landscape reserve and a picturesque panorama of Lake Siesartis with its islands and the famous Labanoras Forest.
On Wednesday, during the working sessions, the partners were divided into 2 groups and participated in many interactive activities with the children: painting, sculpting, drawing, conducting experiments, and so on. The project coordinators from each country had a different working session allocated to them in the second part of the meeting at school. In the afternoon, all the guests visited Curiocity (City for curios kids), a place of surprises for both children up to 13 years and their parents.
On Thursday, the working sessions continued, and the partners, divided into groups participated at inter and transdisciplinary activities that integrated science activities (experiments) with art (painting, drawing etc.), physical or sensory activities using S. Kneipp methodology and sound therapy. The project coordinators met a second time and discussed aspects of the projects such as: the experiments to be done on the second theme of the project – Air, details regarding the creation of the stories about air, puzzles and the timetable for activities.
In the afternoon, the hosts prepared a travel with the oldest means of transport Žaliakalnis funicular to visit the Church of the Resurrection of Christ and also Pažaislis Culture and Tourism Center.
In the last day of the meeting, we visited Kaunas Special Needs School, a school for children with special educational needs (movement and disability). The work sessions for partners involved exchanging information about site of the project and discussing particular data about eTwinning. The project coordinators shared ideas to plan the next meetings (Transnational – Turkey and Learning, Teaching or Training Activities Meeting - Estonia) and other logistics issues. The working day finished with the delivery of diplomas and certificates.
We want to thank the Lithuanian partners (children, teachers, coordinator and school headmaster) for the exchange of good practices, extraordinary and interesting activities presented, all the happy moments and their hospitality.
Second Transnational project meeting for Erasmus+ KA2 project in Bursa, Turkey
From 21st to 25th May 2018, Hüma Hatun Özel Eğitim Anaokulu in Bursa, Turkey welcomed a group of 13 European teachers (headmasters, coordinators or teachers) who are partners in the Erasmus+ KA2 project “Small Scientists Across Europe”. Mr. Ümit Yenisoy, headmaster and Mr. Ibrahim Onur Gökdoğan, project coordinator along with a group of 5 teachers and children from the special education kindergarten welcomed the partners of the project: from France Andrio Herve and Elisabeth Gustovic - project coordinator, from Estonia Natalja Varkki and Anzela Yahiaoui, from Lithuania Jolanta Gauciené and Daiva Ramanauskienė, from Portugal Maria Francisca Pessoa and Joana Minderico, from Romania-Bistrita Carmen Muscari-Salvan, Ionela Lazea and Anamaria Telcean, from Romania-Scornicesti Loredana Mihaela Cringus and Marian Patru.
All the guests participated at the opening ceremony at the warm welcome of the host teachers and children and visited the school and classrooms. The children along with the teaching staff sang for the guests and prepared small handmade surprises for the visitors. Because we wanted to always remember this meeting, a symbol of this partnership was immortalized in a giant banner with the handprints of the entire group. After a presentation of the Turkish educational system, the program continued with a visit at the Bursa City Museum, the Koza Han, the Ulu Mosque, the Imperial Gate and of the beautiful city of Bursa followed by a spectacular view of the valley from the Tophane.
In the second day of the meeting, in the morning the group was divided in two: coordinators had a working session while headmasters and teachers visited Bala Hatun Kindergarten in Bursa. At the kindergarten, the visitors were impressed by the traditional dances performed by the children who were dressed in spectacular traditional clothes. Here, they visited the kindergarten and were introduced to a variety of mental games. In the afternoon, the hosts organized a workshop in the Bursa Science and Technology Center and a short trip to Gölyazi a Turkish town founded on a small peninsula on Lake Uluabat.
On the last day of the meeting, the coordinators had another working meeting. During the visit in Bursa, the coordinators working sessions included subjects such as presentations by each partners of the tasks and responsibilities they done during this first year, establishing the tasks to finish until the end of the first year of the project, creation of questionnaires for children, parents and teachers, discussing the writing of the intermediary report and also setting specific deadlines for the projects’ activities. Also, in this meeting, the first book with experiments about Earth was presented to the partners and preparations for the second book were made. Other visits also included the old Cumalıızık Village and Saitabat waterfall and the Sipping Tea under the Īnkaya Çınar to see the 610 years of plate tree. In the afternoon the visit to the Bursa Botanical Park gave us the opportunity to see diverse trees and flowers, ponds, bikes for rent and exercise paths.
We want to thank Ümit Yenisoy and Onur Gökdoğan, but also to Meryem Yiğit, Kübra Özkan, Aysun Varol, Merve Celikkollu, Emine Eminoglu from the Turkish teaching staff, for their warm welcome and for making the stay in Turkey so lovely! We will always remember our visit to beautiful Bursa and meeting you!
Third Learning, teaching, training project meeting in Narva, Estonia
Narva Preschool Põngerjas welcomed teachers from France, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania and Turkey from 22nd to 26th October 2018 for the third learning, teaching, training meeting of the Erasmus+ “Small Scientists Across Europe” project (2017-1-FR01-KA219-037465).
On the first day of the meeting, Mrs. Jekaterina Golubtsova – school headmaster, along with project coordinator, Mrs. Natalja Varkki, welcomed all the partner teachers from: Ecole Maternelle Tordo in France (project coordinator), Kauno lopselis-darzelis “Giliukas” in Kaunas - Lithuania, Kindergarten No. 3 Bistrita and Kindergarten Scornicesti - Romania and Huma Hatun Ozel Egitim Anaokulu from Yildirim – Turkey.
All the visitors visited the hosting kindergarten and learned more about the Estonian educational system and the management of the kindergarten. In the afternoon partners became familiar with the cultural divercity of Narva by visiting the Narva Hermann Castle and by participating in a workshop Science for health and by learning more about Narva history during a promenade by the Narova River which is a natural border between Estonia and Russia.
In the second day of the meeting we visited Kindergarten Penguin, a great example of how special needs education institutions should look like: classes, swimming pools, saunas, salt rooms, physical education rooms and so on specially designed for the needs of the children who attend here, whether they have special need or not. On our return to preschool Põngerjas, the groups were divided in 2 and we participated in separate science lessons: science experiments and how to use robotics in teaching preschool subjects. In the afternoon we learned more about the educational system in Estonia, this time, by visiting Narva College of Tartu University and in the spare time, coordinators had a meeting in hotel conference room.
The third day of our learning, teaching, training mobility began with the Opening ceremony of the Laboratory of Small Scientists in Narva preschool Põngerjas: a special room equipped with diverse games, robots and specially designed to increase the children’s motivation to science. The children of the kindergarten welcomed us with small gifts handmade by them and performed songs and dances for us. A special moment in the ceremony was the dance of the little robots which were in perfect synchrony and also the moment in which the Estonian children sang the anthem of the project along with all the guests. In the afternoon we had a very beautiful visit to the sea at Narva Bay in Narva-Jõesuu and returned to Narva to visit the Kazematte and find more about the fortifications around this beautiful historical city.
On the fourth day of the meeting, project coordinators had a meeting in the morning at hotel conference rooms, while the teachers visited preschool Päikene in Narva and experienced an approach to technology education. At noon all the group visited the modern Narva Water Supply Station and learned more about how this structures work and their importance to local communities. In the afternoon, the hosts organized a traditional crafts workshop at the hotel and each visitor created a beautiful autumn painting using colored wool.
In the last day of the meeting we evaluated the third learning activities meeting, disseminated it and each participant received the participation certificate.
All the meetings, experiments and visits of this visit to Narva were related to the third theme of the project: water. It was in abundance in this beautiful city were we felt very welcomed and visitors and were our hosts were more than hospitable. Thank you, Kidergarten Põngerjas! Thank you, Estonian partners (children and teachers)! Thank you, Narva!, Thank you, Estonia!
Fourth learning, teaching, training meeting in Bistrita, Romania
Kindergarten No. 3 Bistrita (Gradinita cu Program Prelungit Nr. 3 Bistrita) had the honor to host from 17th to 23rd March a group of 25 teachers from Estonia, France, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania (Scornicesti) and Turkey that arrived in the small Transylvanian city to participate in the Fourth learning, teaching and training activity of the Erasmus + KA2 project "Small Scientists Across Europe" (2017-1-FR01-KA219-037465). The European project is in the second year of implementation and in this mobility meet once again the teachers from pre-school partner institutions: Ecole Maternelle Tordo, France - project coordinator, Lasteaed Põngerjas from Narva – Estonia; Kauno lopselis-darzelis "Giliukas" from Kaunas – Lithuania; Agrupamento de Escolas Rainha Santa Isabel from Coimbra – Portugal; Grădinița cu Program Prelungit Scornicești – România and Huma Hatun Ozel Egitim Anaokulu from Yildirim - Turkey.
After visiting the Kindergarten No. 3 (long program) and Kindergarten No. 7 (short program), the guests participated in the opening ceremony of the training event, being welcomed by preschoolers with traditional and modern dances. Mrs. Clapou Crina and Hudrea Daniela, along with Mrs. Muscari- Salvan Carmen, gave details about the Romanian education system, focusing on early education, European programs in the county, and the history and structure of the host institution. In the second part of the day, the partners participated in a workshop at the Bistrita-Nasaud Museum Complex at the Contemporary Art section where they each printed a T-shirt with the project Erasmus+ KA2 project „Small Scientists Across Europe” logo or traditional Romanian motifs. By visiting the other sections within the Museum (Natural Sciences, History - Archeology and Ethnography - Popular Art), the Liviu Rebreanu Promenade area, the Bistrita-Nasaud National Tourist Information Center and the Tower of the Evangelical Church in Bistrita, the travelers had the opportunity to learn more about the beauty and history of the host city.
The next day of the mobility offered the opportunity to partners to participate in specific workshops for the four themes of the project Earth, Water, Air and Fire where, along with preschoolers, they carried out experiments specific to these themes. During this time the project coordinators established organizational details regarding the implementation of the project for the next period, and setting out details regarding the next mobility of the project, the transnational meeting to be held in May in Scornicesti, Romania. The partners' work schedule included visiting the School of Inclusive Education School Nr. 1 Bistrita, where the teachers coordinated by Ms. Vass Imola Doris shared with them more information about educational programs for integration of children with special needs in Romanian education and visiting the "George Coşbuc" County Library Bistriţa Năsăud. After lunch, the partners visited Lake Colibiţa, Piatra Fantanele Monastery and Dracula Castle.
On Wednesday, on the third day, the partners participated in a meeting with representatives of the local community at the Bistrita-Nasaud County Council and learned more about our county and country. During the visit to Kindergarten „Casuta cu Povesti” Bistrita, coordinated by headmaster Brănişteanu Rodica, the partners were warmly welcomed and took part in the activities carried out within this pre-school institution in Bistrita city.
During the afternoon, the teachers from Kindergarten No. 3, together with the partners in the Erasmus+ KA2 project „Small Scientists Across Europe” project and from Babeş-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca, the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences were hosts of the International Conference ”Playing „science”. The Multidimensional Approach of Science in Kindergarten Activities”. In their plenary speches, professor Ph.D. Habil. Ion ALBULESCU and associate professor Ph.D. Habil. Horatiu CATALANO from Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca mentioned the importance of scientific investigation and also the science of play and project coordinators presented the project. The set of 4 books with science experiments applied by the preschool children during the project were also launched in this conference along with 2 books for teachers written by the university professors. at the end of the conference, the guests visited an art exhibition with work of art created by children related to science subjects and European citizenship.
Wednesday evening, during the festive dinner, all participants to the mobility received their Declaration of participation to this event in a warm and joyful setting and on Thursday, the guests carried out work on the themes of the project that took place at Turda Salt Mine and the Mineralogy Museum of Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca.
On the last day in our country, our partners had a last meeting for mobility evaluation, distribution of attendance documents and planning for the next meeting.
We hope that the time spent on the Romanian realms will always stay with our partners as pleasant memories with dear friends.
Third transnational project meeting of our Erasmus+ KA2 project
From 7th to 11th of May 2019, Grădiniţa cu Program Prelungit in Scornicești, România welcomed 13 project partners (headmasters, coordinators or teachers) in the Erasmus+ KA2 project “Small Scientists Across Europe” for the third transnational project meeting and also the last mobility of this project. Mr. Marian Pătru, headmaster and Mrs. Loredana Mihaela Crînguș, project coordinator along with a group of teachers and children from the kindergarten dressed in traditional Romanian clothes welcomed with flowers the partners of the project from France: Elisabeth Gustovic - project coordinator and her colleague Nadège Maréchalle, from Estonia: Natalja Varkki and Jekaterina Golubtsova, from Lithuania: Jūratė Stakeliūnienė and Rūta Ordienė, from Portugal: Maria Francisca Pessoa and Joana Minderico, from Romania- Bistriţa: Carmen Muscari- Salvan and Ionela Lazea, from Turkey: İbrahim Onur Gökdoğan, Ümit Yenisoy and Meryem Yiğit.
In the opening ceremony the host teachers and children surprised the visitors with traditional Romanian songs and dances. After learning more about the host institution, all partners visited the kindergarten and they received small gifts and souvenirs from the children and their teachers.
The program continued with a visit at Memorial House “Nicolae Ceausescu” followed by a workshop on science at the Planetarium in Pitești, in Argeș county. The visit to the special kindergarten „Sfânta Elena” from Pitești offered our colleagues from other countries an insight in one of the few kindergartens of the Romanian special education system.
The first day finished with a coordinator work meeting and a beautiful Romanian surprise: traditional dances from different Romanian folk areas presented by a professional dance team.
On the second day of the meeting, the partners learned more about the history, culture and civilization of Romania by visiting the Mausoleum in Campulung Muscel, Bran Castle and Peles Castle.
On the last day of the meeting, all the partners visited Kindergarten „Ion Creanga” from Slatina and participated at the International Symposium “Teaching experiments – innovative methods of teaching science” which took place in Grădiniţa cu Program Prelungit Scornicești where they presented our project in a collaborative way. While the teachers and headmasters participated at workshops at „the scientific experiments at Scornicesti Kindergarten”, all the coordinators had another work meeting to discuss various aspects regarding the management of the project and the schedule for next activities.
Other visits also included „Grigore Antipa” Muzeum and Parliament Palace in Bucharest.
We want to thank the team project from Scornicesti and their colleagues for their warm welcome and many surprises!
