EXPERIENCES OF HOSTNG PARENTS IN ANDRIA

Mr Leonardo Pistillo:
From my point of view, Erasmus is not just a time when guys socialize with their co-aged comparing different ways of studying and teaching; it’s also a chance for our children to “go out from the family” learning to rely on themselves.

Staying abroad is an opportunity to get rid of the emotional legacy from the parents, approaching new experiences in their own way.

Despite it being a short time, I’m positive about students will feel nostalgic of the nice experience.

Wish in a few years it will be the parents the ones who can join an Erasmus leaving their children at home!

Mrs Marica Civita:
Taking into consideration that a lot of students have already experienced a holiday on their own, the major opportunity that the Eramus+ project has given to our children is the chance to live, even if just for one week, in a different family and school context, with different culture and traditions and learn to adapt to them and to love them in the perspective of a European future.

 I was surprised and moved from the easiness with whom the children have connected and integrated. That means that youth doesn’t have any barriers or boundaries. And all of that makes us hopeful about their future.

Personally, hosting (be it just for as few days) a boy so far away from his family it’s been like having a second child, whom, alas, we don’t have.

I thank the teachers Farina and Sgaramella, and the high school Nuzzi for giving us all of this.
 

Stefano Tesse’s mother:
Erasmus...described through the mind: a wonderful and constructive experience... described through the heart: an overwhelming emotion...Let’s praise the ones who have given the students the opportunity to live such and experience.

Mrs Rosalba:
Erasmus a project which has involved us both with the heart and with the mind. Unforgettable.

Riccardo Lorizzo’s mother:
This is an experience that all the students should live. We have been given a second chance. A lot of positive things ... the only negative one? It’s over! Thanks teachers.

Mrs Giuliana:
Erasmus... is the happiness to listen to your own child coming home saying : “Mum, we really had fun!”. It’s real fun, joy in their eyes and the enthusiasm to live together every single moment. Thanks for making us and our children living this experience. They will be fond memories forever.

Mrs Chiara Di Bari:
The happiness of us the parents is sharing this wonderful experience.

It will certainly add value to their lives and will help them to be more self-confident. It’s nice hearing your own child saying on the leaving day: “I already miss him”.

We have welcomed Roma'n as if he was a fourth sweet child of ours! What we have left is unforgettable memories and nostalgic moments.
Thanks teacher for giving us this great opportunity.

Mrs Antonella:
Thanks teacher for giving us this nice experience.

Davide Losito’s mother:
Erasmus is an experience that has to be lived to grow up, not just for children but also for us the parents. During these days we have managed our daily routine differently and so have our children: so busy in living together, improving a language and making new friends, creating in this way a “global family”.

All of us have given our children the freedom to live new experiences. I think that this has enriched their background of unique memories that they will missing and remember with happiness.

Thanks teacher for giving us this opportunity.

Mrs Tonia:
Erasmus: a great opportunity for our children, which has engaged both culturally and emotionally the families as well.

It’s an exchange of emotions, habits, traditions and languages, interacting with students from different nations but very alike to each other.

I’m sure all of us will save long while the memory of this pleasant experience!

Thanks a lot teacher Farina!

Mrs Mariella Fiore:
Actually, I didn’t have the chance to chose either to join the project or not as my son had already decided. Today I can certainly affirm that I don’t regret it (my son is probably far ahead of me), as this experience has been absolutely positive for both of us to widen our horizons.

I really value teacher Farina, whom has made all of this possible. Besides, he has given the students the opportunity to commit themselves into the organization to make the foreign students staying as pleasant as possible.

AN HUNGARIAN STUDENT IN ANDRIA

Our experiences in Andria at an Erasmus exchange programme (10.-16 February 2019)

We started our journey on 10th February in the airport of Vienna. This was the first flight for most of us so we were a bit scared. We arrived at the airport of Bari at around quarter to 9, where our partners were waiting for us. After a short introduction we left for Andria with a bus. This journey took about an hour. Everybody went home to their partner’s family and had dinner. Every morning we had to go to school or to take the bus at half past 8. On Monday we began our first official Italian day. In the morning we went to school and every student from the 4 countries sat in the auditorium. There the teachers informed us about the programmes of the week and the obligatory projects. After that, they divided us into 8 smaller groups and told us our tasks for the week. There was minimum one student from every country in every group. In the group where I was, there were 2 Italian girls, 1 German boy, 1 Spanish girl and 1 Hungarian girl with me. Our theme was secularization and we talked a lot about it. At 1 pm we had lunch together in the auditorium and then there was a little party. At the party we got to know the Italian temperament, their music and their dances. When everyone got tired we went home to relax a bit because at night we went out to the city together. First of all, we sat into a bar where we could eat some cookies or drink some coffee. After a lot of talking and joking we went to a pizzeria. On the way there we met the Spanish and the German people. There were all of us in the pizzeria, so we were about 50. We could taste the famous Italian pizza and I must say that it was delicious. There we talked a lot and I think we could get to know each other well. We arrived at the families’ late at night. The next day we travelled by bus to Matera. On the bus we did a little Hungarian and Italian lesson. We memorized a few words that we still know. In Matera we were divided into 2 big groups and we went sightseeing with an English guide. During the trip it started to rain, but we didn’t care. The city was wonderful. At night we went to one of our partner’s house together. We played on musical instruments and danced a lot. After that we went to the city a bit, and home. On Wednesday morning we were working on the projects a lot, but in the afternoon we visited the Castel del Monte near Andria. The castle was beautiful, we took a lot of pictures, but there was a huge gale. When we arrived at the city, we sat into a bar with Italian people again to eat some cookies, ice cream or drink some tea. In the afternoon everybody relaxed at home because in the evening we had a big party together. The party was awesome. There were Italian music, dances, pizza and good mood again. We loved it. At night we tried to sleep much but on Thursday we were very tired. Firstly, we travelled to Alberobello, where we could see the old stone houses (TRULLIs). After a little freetime we continued our journey to Ostuni (The white city). This place was a bit adventurous for us, the Hungarians. We saw the sea, the beautiful white streets and the cathedral. After our freetime we went back there where we got off the bus. After a few minutes it turned out that everybody was waiting for us in a cafe near the cathedral. We didn’t know the way back. Everybody was worried, our teachers, our partners and a bit we too. An unknown Italian woman helped us and then we found the others finally. We could go home. In the evening we went to a restaurant with our little team to eat some typical Italian food. Of course it was delicious. We went to the city again and then home. We were a bit sad, because we knew that that was our last night there. On Friday we started at school again. We finished our projects and presented them to each other. We talked about the themes and had lunch together. We had to come home earlier so it was sad and difficult to say goodbye to German and Spanish people. In the afternoon everybody was with the families. We set off to the airport at half past 6. Our partners came with us until the check-in. Of course it was the hardest to say goodbye to them. We miss them so much.
The back flight wasn’t so bad, a few of us slept a bit. In Vienna a bus was waiting for us. We arrived in Celldömölk at around 2 am. I am sure that this week was determinative for everyone. Not only have we seen beautiful places, have tasted delicious meals, but we have also got to know awesome people who we won’t forget after the programme either. I hope that we will meet them again.

DIARY FROM A SPANISH STUDENT

WHAT AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE!

This trip was an experience that  non of us will never forget. Everything started the day that we handed the motivation letters. In that moment I knew that this experience would be incredible. A week after,  we did the selection of the countries and at that moment we all were very nervous.When we already had the country assigned, the ones that had to go to Italy only had to wait a month to do the trip.On the 10th of February we were at Barcelona's airport.The trip from BCN to Bari was very short. When we went to get the suitcases we didn’t want to go to find our Erasmus partners because we were very shy.That day we went to Andria and everybody went at his house and before diner we stayed at the village with the other Erasmus people of Germany and Hungary.The following day, we went at the school and the teachers and coordinators did a small introduction and divided us in groups.The first group went to another classroom to do a mock FCE test and the other started doing a project  in groups made of people from the 4 countries. After this it was free time and we went to their sports center to talk and play some sports. The next hour we continued doing the same project and after we had lunch all together.

The following day we went to Mattera, a very nice place and after having lunch we returned at the school. Next we had free time to be all together and with the families.

On Wednesday we did the same as on Monday, and some students did us a small class of Italian. In the evening we visited the Castello del Monte and at night we had a party.The party was super fun and we all had a great time .Alberobello was the following place that we visited on Thursday. This place was very nice and that day we bought a lot of things. Ostuni was the next place we went, there we visited a cathedral but it was very windy.

On Friday was our last day.We spent the morning doing activities at the school, in this case the project that we had been preparing in groups.The rest of the day we were at the Sports Center dancing and playing volley. Later, like every day after school, we had to say officially good bye to some of the Italian mates that we will never going to see again.That was very difficult for us. Saturday...The day had already arrived and was all very sad but we already knew that these 8 people in November were coming to Spain.

The retorn trip to Barcelona was very different, there was no happiness either excitement, everyone was sad. Feelings were encountered, we were happy for having had this experience and having met new friends and but we didn’t want to leave.

Thank you for this amazing experience, see you soon!