Dear readers, Welcome to the fourth issue of BAF magazine made by the International BAF TEAM from Italy,

Germany, Turkey, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Poland. Many thanks to the teachers and students who participate in shaping the layout and deciding on the contents of the magazine. We hope you will enjoy reading our magazine. Best wishes, Project coordinators: Pawel Posnik (Poland), Peter Ferrari Demski (Italy), Maria Zographou (Cyprus), MuradiyeSubasi (Turkey), Ulrike Peterhoff (Germany), Verginia Veselinova Rakadijeva (Bulgaria)

SOME MEMORIES FROM THE VISIT TO POLAND:

All Childrens Day On 1st June in our school we celebrated All Childrens Day. In the morning students had three lessons. Then many of them took part in sporting competitions. Boys played football, girls played beach ball and there also took place a volleyball match students vs graduates. There were 10 beach ball teams from first and second classes. We were one of these teams. In every match girls played one set till 21 points, only the final matches were played till 15 points. It was hot and sunny and we were all tired, but we won all our four matches which we played and we won the whole competition!

At the end the headmaster and teachers gave us and the other winners cups and diplomas. We also took some photos. Then, despite feeling tired, we came back homehappy and of ourselves. Ola, Pati, Paula from class ID.

SPORTS IN OUR SCHOOL Hello my name is Helen, I go to school at Karlsgymnasium in Bad Reichenhall . I think that at our school we dont have enough physical education classes. We have only got three lessons a week. I think we should have four or five lessons in one week. Then we could do for example more apparatus gymnastic, floor exercises, or bar exercises, or another form one of gymnastic. Sport is really, really good and its fun. A lot of kids would be very happy about more sport at school . Our school offers leisure time activities for example acrobatics, or climbing, or unicycle driving, or something other. Bye!

A DIFFERENT CELEBRATION 1st April 1955 - This day marks the start of the EOKA rebellion for Cyprus to obtain independence from Great Britain .On the 31st of March we had a celebration in our school .A different celebration ,because a school from Corfu Greece came to celebrate together. The two head teachers talked about this meeting and then the students of our school sang songs and danced. The Corfu students prepared dances. After that a reception with the teachers and the guest was held .

Renovation of our school yard (Cyprus) Forget the grey colour in our school yard. Now our yard is full of trees and flowers. The change made our school yard a nicer place for us. A colourful place where we can spend our breaks together with the other students. The paints that the art teacher with students made gave another note in the walls of our school .Our paints won art competitions.

Fire in the school !!! On 16th June in our school there was held a false fire alarm in our school. After three ring signals all the students and teachers had to leave the school building. We all gathered on the football pitch and our teachers checked the presence. If someone was missing, there was organized a special group consisting of teachers and medical staff who had to find the missing person. After a few minutes we went back into the school building for lessons (BAD LUCK). There were also fire fighters giving instructions what to do. The whole event was held quickly and without any complications. This was the routine safety procedure just in case of fire. Katarzyna Kosinska The school in Grojec The school in Grojec is high school. The building is big. The school has got a garden with trees and flowers. Outside they have got a basketball and football playground. In the school there are classrooms for biology, chemistry, history, Polish, Russian, ect. The school has got a gym, a computer room, a canteen and a small caf too. When we were in the school we attended lessons of biology, chemistry and Russian. It was very interesting. During the lessons of biology and chemistry the students showed us some attempts. We also had a Russian lesson. It was interesting because we learn Russian in Bulgaria too. During the lesson we spoke with teacher and students about our knowledge of this language. It was very funny when we sang famous Russian songs with all the class. Then we had a food competition. There were seven groups of students, which cooked some very tasty dishes with apples. In the end the students board won the competition. Iveta Ivanova and Elina Nikolova from Bulgaria

PERSONAL COUNCELLING - SPORTELLO D'ASCOLTO What is it?. It is an official place, space and time where each student can talk to the teacher in charge of this service. He/ she is ready to listen to the student's problems, in order to find solutions. It is not a psychological session in a confessional-like situation, but a place where difficulties and their pressure on a student can be investigated may be (at last partly) removed- in order to enable the student to get more and more successful at school. I've been that teacher for ten years and it has been a real honour for me. I've met hundreds of students ready to open their hearts, showing their slighter and heavier doubts, perplexity, fear trying to overcome them with a little help from me. My greatest joy is the moment when I meet these students in the school corridor, smiling newly a ware of their learning potential. In this case I'm very happy! Marinella Palmerini, Massarosa, Italy Carnival in 122nd school, Sofia
122nd Primary school Sofia is named upon great Bulgarian poet Nikolai Liliev, who lived and created in complicated and contradictory XX century. Liliev is high educated and ethical intellectual. All his life is devoted to art. Bearer of traditional European values, the poet is been respected from all nation for his morals, modesty and spiritual purity. All his exquisite poetry is subordinate his dream for harmony and beauty. Every year on 26th May the students and the teachers of 122nd Primary school celebrate the birthday of Nikolai Liliev. We usually prepare the concert or outdoor party. This year we prepared a famous carnival.The students disguised as movies' and tales' heroes. There were a lot of fun and games. You can enjoy good spirits! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOs_eLEUQE Verginia Veselinova, Sofia

Thumsee - a lake where we spent our free time Thumsee The whole summer my friends and I spend our time at a lake nearby our town. Its a great place to relax after school. The location is 10 minutes away from the town (Bad Reichenhall) so there is usually silence and no cars or other typically things of a city are getting on your nerves. Around the lake are mountains and forest but there is a kiosk and a big meadow to hang around. The water is refreshing and very clear. Most of the young people of my town are lying there if the weather is good and its warm enough to take a swim. There are three surfboards to borrow and around the lake you can jump down from giant trees into the water. We are going by bike to the lake because especially my house is not far away. We have always a lot of fun on this place and without it we wouldnt take the school stuff so easy :) Benedikt Constantin and Helen Constantine and Helen (Konstentinovden) - 21st May This holiday is usually celebrated without traditions and rituals. It is celebrated only in some parts of the country as a protection from hail. An animal is given as a sacrifice on this day and the whole village shares a table. This is a big holiday for the shepherds in the Rhodopy Mountain. A traditional holiday in Southern Bulgaria is the ritual fire-dancing. Church Holiday: This day is celebrated mainly as a church one in almost the whole country. This day honours Constantine the Great and his mother Helen. According to the legend Helen discovers the cross of Christ in Palestine (The cross day). During the rule of Constantine the Great the Milan edict that turns Christianity into the country's religion was issued Iveta Ivanova and Elina Nikolova from Bulgaria

Enjovden (Midsummer Day) - 24st June According to the people's idea the sun starts to die slowly and the year comes to the winter: "Enjo put on his coat to go get the snow". It is believed that the man that sees the bathed in live water "playing" and "trembling" sun will be healthy during the whole year. Everybody watches at their shadows, if the head does not outline or only half of it outlines this portends a disease. At the night of the dieing and the newly-born sun the grass and the herbs have the biggest healing power which is lost with the sunrise. That is why on that day early in the morning lasses and women, fortune-tellers, sorceress and witches pick herbs that they use for healing and magic during the whole year. At that night water has magic power too. According to the belief on this day the water in the rivers and the wells is healing because the sun bathed in it. In Western Bulgaria they believe in the healing power of the dew on Enjovden. At the night before Enjovden the roaming magicians, naked and sitting on a yarn-beam, wander other people's fields and while casting spells they put the dew in their aprons to drop it later over their fields. Before the holiday every landlord harvests a few r of corn so that the roamers find it picked. On the holiday young women go to the fields to harvest a wisp, they braid a tress from the corn and put it and the wisp on a cross which is done for fertility. On Enjovden they make predictions about health, marriage and fertility. These predictions are included in the singing competition over a ring or a bunch of flowers which resembles the laduvane. In South and Northeastern Bulgaria the predictions re carried out in the ritual Enjova boulja (Midsummer's Day bride). Verginia Veselinova, Sofia, Bulgaria DO YOU HAVE CHILDREN'S DAY? 23rd of April, "National Sovereignty and Children's Day" in Turkey nowadays is not only celebrated by the Turkish children but also by all the World children. Via this festival, children of different continents have the chance to gather for Peace, Love and Friendship in Ankara, capital city of Trkiye. The founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatrk believed that children are the future of the nations. The happiness, education and health of children are very important and he paid great attention to the children. For this reason, he dedicated the date April 23 to the children years ago. From many countries hundreds of children are hosted by Turkish people during the festival date. Thus, the children of foreign countries can see the culture, tradition, life style and natural beauty of Trkiye. When the children of the World come together, they interact each other. What are done during the Children's Day? The Children visit the state officials and they replace the official workers for a short time. They can say their ideas and opinions to the public and media. They visit parliamentarians in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. They wear their traditional costumes, they parade in the stadium to performe dance shows and theatral activities; they read poems and sing peace and friendship songs and so on. Greetings from Trkiye, Ebru Dumay

Solidarity March Also this year, April 16, 2011, our school has organized the fourth edition of "The march of solidarity", a sports event which is to cover a distance of 1,500 meters on the streets of Massarosa, in free rhythm, and that involving all pupils, parents and teachers of the Comprehensive Massarosa 1. The purpose of this event is to raise money through free donations from the participants, to be sent to the Comboni Mission Sisters who work in some villages of Ethiopia. This year was attended by about 200 participants and the amount raised was 740. Along with this sports event of solidarity, was also on the second edition of the Institute Championship of Race on the road, only for secondary school students. Nicola Venturi won the Class III A of boys and Sara Bianchi class III B among the girls. At the end of the event, food, drink and prizes for all participants. The June 2 Sister Laura sent us her response and these are some phrases: "I thank you immensely in the name of who will use your generosity. 740 in local currency are 17,760,000 birr, the exact salary of a teacher for an entire year! I want to tell you that I will use the fruit of your labors for the canteen of the hospital paediatrics. So you will know that you have participated in a great work, a gesture of solidarity of great human value. As would be nice if instead of offering ... bullets or missiles could deliver bread and food for all those who can afford to eat once a day. Again, a big, big thank you to our dear ones. By Sister Julia, Nekemte Mission, Ethiopia. written by Silvano Babici, Massarosa, Italy

Fire Dancers - Nestinari

The Christian holiday of Sts. Constantine and Helen celebrated on May 21, incorporates a variety of folk rituals. In the Rhodope Mountains where sheep breeding was the prevalent means of livelihood in the past, herds were taken out to pastures on that day. In the farming regions of the Thracian Valley, rituals were held to protect crops from hails. The holiday is particularly attractive the way it is celebrated in the Strandja Mountain, Southeastern Bulgaria, the center of fire dancing or Nestinari ritual. Fire dancers believe that the two saints protect them and lead them to the fiery culmination of their dancing. Holding the icon of Constantine and Helen, they step on live embers. In this way performers act as mediators between saints and people. The icon used in fire dancing is washed symbolically with sacred water. After that the icon is dressed in a shirt and adorned with jewels. In the past the Nestinari from neighboring villages would launch competitions deciding whose icon would be the most powerful one. At twilight, festivities move around the big fire in the village central square. A large quantity of live embers is spread into a big circle, the sign of the sun. All night long villagers dance festive chain dances around it. The climax arrives at midnight fire dancing itself. Totally enraptured in ritual ecstasy, the Nestinari dancers come to the fiery circle barefoot, dressed in long white shirts with icons of Sts. Constantine and Helen in their hands. The Nestinari drum and bagpipe quicken their rhythm, making it strangely hypnotizing. Lead by the music and entranced by their ritual mission the Nestinari trample on live, scorching embers. They dance in the ember circle, as if the external world never existed. The talent of fire dancing and communicating with divine powers is inherited. Today the Nestinari ritual survives in only two villages in Strandja Mountain Bulgari and Kosti.

Verginia Veselinova, Sofia, Bulgaria

150 anniversary of the Union of Italy

SHORT STORY about the UNION OF ITALY With the arrival of Napoleon's troops in Italy (1796), there is an awakening of national sentiment, whose first concrete sign of rescue can be identified in the Proclamation of Rimini, where Joachim Murat, 30 March 1815 during the Austro -Naples, makes an earnest appeal to all Italians to unite to save the Kingdom of Naples under their sovereignty, the only guarantor of their independence against a foreign occupier. The period of Italian history in which the emergence of national consciousness leads to political unity and independence of the Italian nation is called Risorgimento. This period takes a long time span of several decades, ending only in 1861 with the birth of Kingdom of Italy under the dynasty of the House of Savoy. It sees the first patriots initially joined the Carboneria, resulting in the riots of 1820-1821, harshly suppressed by the Austrians. Followed by other attempts insurgency, including those unfortunate brothers Bandiera (1844), the riots of 1848 that lead to the first war of independence against the Austrian oppression, and also see the involvement of the urban population, especially during the famous five-day Milan, and the shipment of 1857 of Carlo Pisacane in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, which ended with a massacre. Only with the Second Italian War of Independence of 1859, Austria gives Lombardy to the Kingdom of Savoy, and so will trigger the final process of unification, culminating in the Thousand (1860). The personalities involved in this process were many, but the most important were: - Giuseppe Mazzini, founder of Giovine Italia movement, and eminent figure of Italian and European liberal Republican movement; - Giuseppe Garibaldi, a Republican and socialist sympathies; - Count Camillo Benso di Cavour, statesman, able to move into the European scene for support, including financial, to the expansion of the Kingdom of Sardinia; - Vittorio Emanuele II of Savoia, able to realize the environment conducive to the establishment of the Kingdom of Italy (1861). Irene Billet e Claudia Marullo, Massarosa, Italy

WHY WARS INSTEAD OF PEACE? Life is a gift for us. Why hatred rather than affection or tolerance? Killing people so as to have superiority, wealth, money or a piece of land. Slaughtering children even babies, murdering innocent women, men, young or old?

Wars must be the rapacity of greedy people and wars have always resulted in unbelievable agony, incredible violence, atrocity, poverty and misery! My English teacher Muradiye Suba sums up what and where war is: War is in tears, war is in sorrow, war is in wrecks, war is in ambush, war is in mist; But peace exists in our warm hearts. Listening to the tranquil melody of virgin nature is better than listening to the war screams of verses. Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, our famous thinker says that: v BE LIKE A SUN in compassion, benignity, grace and tolerance. v BE LIKE EARTH in modesty and humility. v BE LIKE A RIVER in generosity, munificence, benevolence and helping others. v BE LIKE NIGHT in concealing other's faults. v BE LIKE DEAD in anger and fury. v Either look as you are or BE AS YOU LOOK . Putting out the stated advice of Mevlana above will possibly solve the problems among people. Love, peace and friendship to every country, to every nation and to everybody... I dedicated this essay to my teacher Muradiye Suba who is always at the side of freedom, peace and the sincere friendship of the nations. Rabiye Ylmazkaya-Trkiye

Times after recovering independence by Poland 11th November 1918 was a very important day for Poland. We recovered independence after 123 years of occupation. But even so, it wasnt the end of problems for our country. We still had to fight for our frontiers and rebuild the fatherland. Moreover, people in Poland had different views about the future of the country. Our national hero Jozef Pilsudski overcame political partitions and in January 1919 he created the government which was acceptable for every political option. In February the government announced temporary rules on how Poland should be run. It was the first and one of the most important steps in rebuilding our country. However, the way to go was still long and very difficult. Jozef Pilsudski Paulina Augusiewicz

Hello!!! My name is Aziza. I'm from Germany and I would like to tell you something about sport, especially about my hobby acrobatics. I'm 12 years old. I do sports (for exemple: acrobatic, dance,...), because I like it very much and Im looking for my health. Sport with friends every week is fun =) !!! I go to the acrobatics group every sunday. The group is very nice. I have been doing acrobatics for 2 years and i'm good in it. We do a lot of things with a partner. My parnter is a woman, her name is Steffi. I like her. In October we have a show with dances. Very many people will come there and watch.
. PLAYING TURKISH TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENT "SAZ", RIDING BICYCLE AND DRIVING A CAR AT THE LAST SPEED My grandfather, Salim Aka is fond of playing our traditional instrument 'saz', therefore I always wanted to play it like my grandpa. Nowadays as I'm on a holiday, I'm learning the clues to play it. I'm practising what I learn fRom my grandpa. I'm very ambitious to play saz. Last year after getting a fuel oil rc model car gift, it became my best hobby. In the morning or at night, after I handle the RC-remote control, I can drive it as the highest speed as possible and I know that none of the traffic policemen will send me traffic fines at the end of the overspeed. I've never met a person who hates riding bicycle. Everybody takes pleasure in riding it. In some regions of the world such as China or India, bicycles are the main means of transportation. Bike is a-two wheeled-magic vehicle,or sometimes three or more wheeled and thus the number of the wheels give the specific names to the bikes: Quadracycles, Unicycles, Bicycles, Tricycles... There are lots of bicycles for example, mountain bikes, touring bikes, racing bikes, hybrid bikes, working bikes, trailer bikes etc. Not only the children but also the adults are crazy about riding it and similarly me too. I can do some acrobatics actions in our garden. It doesn't give me only pleasure but also a feeling like flying in sky, a sense sliding from the clouds to the earth. by Dilek ztrk

HOW I OVERCAME MY SHYNESS The drama club in our school began at the beginning of the school year 2010/2011. I had much earlier been interested in theatre. I went to drama school near my village. There I learned the basics of acting and practised speaking skills. Together with the whole group, about 25 people, we presented various performances. We presented different topics such as comedies, but also serious art. We presented them in different places. So far, I have belonged to this little theater, which adopted the name "Scaena". Now, as in my school there is the possibility to participate in the theatrical circle, without hesitation I signed up for this. There I develop my talent and develop skills. We practise our voice to speak loudly, clearly and to give each sound emotions. In addition, we break the barriers of shyness and get to know each other better. After a year's work on our skills and having played in the school scenario, we gave the presentation under the title " Unformatted ". I think our whole group was a great success. We overcame stage fright, and our weaknesses. I am glad that I could appear on stage in front of the school audience. I also wanted to warmly invite other students to participate in such ventures. I think we should actively participate in such actions, to later in the future we could benefit from this. Maybe some of us will open the way to the theater school and become famous actors. Marta Lugowska, Id

Our boys volleyball team won the championship of Cyprus!

It is not something new for us because the last five years our team is winning the championship . Thanks to our boys and to the coach of the team.

Sports my hobby My name is Isabell. I am 11 years old and I go to the Karlsgymnasium in Bad Reichenhall. I like sport (for example: Tennis, Danc, Acrobatic, etc. ). My favourite sports are: tennis, dancing, acrobatics and golf. I do sports because I would like to be and look sportive. And sport is very funny! Really!! But especially when you are with friends. In my tennis group it is very funny with all my friends!!! I have been playing for 7 years now and I am not so bad in it. Every lesson we have to run und then we have to play tennis. In bad weather we go into the tennis gym an in good weather we go outside. I go into the dance, because it is funny, too. And every month we have shows. Very many people come and look at us! That is cool. I hope you do much sports!! I can say, sport is fun!

TABLE-TENNIS Hello I am thirteen years old and my favourite sport is table-tennis, that I practice only during the summer. It is an individual sport where there are just you and your opponent. It is played on a table about eight feet long divided into two parts by a net. It is played with a wooden racket covered with rubber in part intended to hit a ball of plastic. To win you have to do eleven points for a tie, the game continues until there are two points of lack between the two players. If the ball does two bounces or goes out after one bounce it is a point for the opponent. written by Stefano Donati, Massarosa, Italy SOUND MASTERS I would like to say what it looks like to prepare the sound for celebrations and performances in our school. During every school performance my friend Micha Kurczynski and I are called to read the script of the show and we must prepare the appropriate appliances so we are asked lots of questions. We have to be present at all rehearsals of the performances if we want the show to be perfect . We sit at the side of the stage and all the time we watch the game of actors. The preparations include adapting the sound effects in order to make everyone be able to hear well. The main sound effects are: low tones, high tones, mid tones and the echo sound. During the rehearsal we listen and select the best sound effects. Often at the end of a rehearsal we ask actors to say something to the microphone if we want to make the last correction. We dont need special knowledge to connect the entire equipment. We only have to read the information in the manual. All equipment consists of audio mixer, laptop, CD-player, loudspeakers and lots of cables. During the preparation we usually dont have any problems, but if we have we simply solve them quickly. The most common problems are: low battery in microphones (sometimes we dont have enough quantity of them) and lack of electricity. This is a very nice job to do and I would like to keep doing this.

Damian Rusinowski

MY MEMORIES FROM THE COMENIUS VISIT IN POLAND From 17th to 23th I was the host for two girls from Bulgaria, Irina and Rossi. I was very excited because it was the first time in my house there had lived students from a different country. We met at the airport and I knew right from the start that I will like them. On the first day I showed them my house and the garden. Next we went for a walk with Paulina and her guest. We looked round our town. The next day the girls went to Warsaw. At this time I was on a rehearsal for a performance in my school. The girls said that they liked Warsaw very much. The next day we went to my school. We saw some presentations about schools which are in Comenius Project. Later the girls went to Warka, to Pulaski Musem. About 7 p.m in my school there was a meeting where my class played Romeo and Juliet. It was a fantastic day! On Friday we went to school, to attend some lessons. Later there was a food competition. Next we went to Warsaw, to Chopins museum. When we came back home, we decided to go to the swimming pool. Unfortunately, there was a storm, and we had to quickly come back home. On Saturday we went to picnic. Later we went to celebrate Apple Trees Days in Grojec. We went to the fun fair. On Sunday Irina and Rossi came back to Bulgaria. I was sad, but I hope that girls will visit Poland again. Sandra Frydrych (Poland) From 17 to 23rd May I had a pleasure to host in my home two girls from Comenius project from Cyprus : Kyriaki and Nasia. During this week, the girls learnt about some interesting facts about Polish history, culture and habits. Thanks to seeing the Warsaw Uprising Museum and Royal Castle they touched Polish past times both tragic and prosperous ones. My guests saw the Hoses of Parliament: Sejm and Senate of the Republic of Poland and had an opportunity to meet Polish MP Mirosaw Maliszewski, who described the functioning of the most important government organs in our country. The next day, a tour of our town was arranged. My friends saw : Grojec Town Hall where the Starost of Grojec works, the Municipality, Town Square, St. Nicholas church, primary schools and lower secondary school. What is more, my new friends took part in a trip to Warka and integration evening gethering in our school, where there was shown a performance. On 20th May they attended some classes such as: Chemistry, Physics, German, Russian and English. Physics experiments seemed to be the most interesting and unusual. On Saturday , I took the girls to a picnic in Troja to have fun with the other participants of the project from different countries. In our free time we visited Wodnik swimming pool and we took part in the local celebration of the Days of Blossoming Apple Trees. Then there was organised a trip to Chopin's Museum and to his birthplace which is called Zelazowa Wola. During the events and informal parts of their stay we were not only having fun but also learning English and culture of all the nations. Magdalena Jasinska (Poland)
th

My impressions after the Comenius visit in Poland

During the Comenius visit in Poland I hosted a boy from Cyprus named George. The group from Cyprus came first so we had a lot of time to introduce each other. We talked about Poland - Cyprus differences and similarities. We also talked about sports, our interests and in the evening we went for a walk around Grojec. I learn new things about Cyprus and the citizens of this country. Next days when I and my guest had got time we used it differently. We not only talked but we also played games such as football and others. Every next day I met new people and I tried to integrate with them. We organized some barbecues. There were a lot of journeys, attractions and I think that our guests loved Poland. That time from 17th to 23rd of May was very busy but I think that exchange helped us because we could improve our English and we could also make new acquaintances. I regret that this meeting took only 6 days because it was fantastic and amazing time for me. That exchange was an amazing adventure. Sergiusz Zieja I hosted in my home a girl from Turkey- Gizem Sahim. I spent a great time with my friend from Turkey and I would like to do it again. On the first day we talked until late in the evening. Gizem told me about her impressions of air travel, interests, family and Kirikkale the town where she lives and goes to school. She invited me to her town. The next days passed very quickly. We went for walks, the tennis court and swimming pool. She met my friends, school, teachers but my family and she quickly made friends with my younger sister, with whom she often spoke. I taught Gizem to ride on the rollerskates and play basketball. My friend from Turkey was also on the trips in Warsaw and Warka. After returning from the trips, she always told me what she had visited. She was impressed. On Saturday and Sunday we were together with my friends from the class on ,,The festival of blossoming apple trees. We were on the carousels and cars. Gizem and her friend Ozem were very excited. Althought Gizem is 12 years old, we had common topics to discuss, starting with music and finishing with common interests. There were many great moments, which Gizem has in the photos. It was the first time I had participated in such an exchange and I spent a wonderful time. I would do it again! I met Turkish culture, Muslim religion and learnt a few basic Turkich words. Ill not forget the moments and funny situations which I spent with herJ Wiola Sokolowska I hosted Tobias from Germany. We spent a wonderful time together. Before he came to my house I was a little bit afraid but when I met him at the airport I realized that we would have a great time. I wasnt mistaken, every day we had a lot of things to do: a lot of trips, meetings with friends and of course apple tree festival! This visit caused that I improved my English, met a lot of new people and I learnt a lot about German culture and we broke a lot of stereotypes between our countries. Maciek Warpechowski

How we spent time during the Comenius visit in Poland

My guest was Valeria Yankova from Bulgaria. She is 11 years old. She lived with me and my family in our house in Miesy, a small village 7 kilometers away from Grojec. On Tuesday afternoon we picked Valeria from the airport and we went home, ate dinner. There also had to be obviously apple pie, typical of our region. Next we rested, later a friend of mine visited us and we went for a walk to the playground. On Wednesday we had to get up very early, ate breakfast and went to school. In the evening I took Valeria from the school, went to the park, came back home and she met my cousin, we watched a film: black swan and after that we went to sleep. On Thursday in the morning we went to school. There were presentations all schools which take part in the Comenius project. In the evening we had some free moment and next went to an evening event in the school. On Friday in the morning we went to school, had lessons: physics, chemistry and Russian language. Next we went to a trip to Warsaw, the Museum of Chopin. Next we came back to Grojec and went to the swimming pool, when we went out from the swimming pool there was a terrible storm. We were very scared. But fortunately we went home happily. On Saturday we could sleep longer. Next we went to a picnic. The weather was very nice, sunny, hot. Next we came back home and we ate dinner. Valeria all afternoom spent with my cousin Anna. They went to apple festival. They met a group from the project. With friends they went to carousels for example umbrella, cars. When they came back home they were very tired and went to sleep. On Sunday morning Valeria said goodbye to my family and I drove Valeria to Grojec and next she went to the airport. In my opinion it was an amazing experience, it was an English language knowledge test. I think that I passed this exam. It was a very good opportunity to see cultural aspects for example in Bulgaria a lot of people are protestants, characteristic was also head nodding different from Poland. I learned that in Bulgaria in May it is colder. Bulgaria is divided into 28 wards, Poland is divided into 16 Provinces. I think that the language barrier was broken. This was a fruitful meeting. Iwona Wysocka A few days ago in our city, Grojec, we hosted guests from the other countries which take part in Comenius Project. For me it was a new experience. In these days, in my house there lived a 16-year-old boy whose name is Robin. At first I was very stressed and I had problems with speaking fluently . We went to my home on foot, because I wanted to show him some places in Grojec. After that my parents welcomed him in our house and we ate dinner. Later, we went out, because a lot of my friends wanted to meet Robin. The next day our Comenius guests went to Warsaw to see the most important places in the Polish capital city. In the afternoon I took my guest for a little walk and in the evening we played console games, so I think it was a very nice time and we could talka bit longer. On Thursday everyone was in our school. There, we had an official welcoming and presentation of all the groups from all the countries. Later, they had a walk round Grojec. In the afternoon, all the guests were on a trip in Warka. They saw the oldest brewery in Poland with very long tradition. In the evening, we had an integration meeting at school. There were some performances with kids and pupil from our school. Friday was the day when the visitors had lessons in our school. There were physics experiments, chemistry and German lessons. After that Polish teenagers made food with Grojec regional fruit: apple. The competition was won by School Board. They served warm apple pie with ice cream. Later, we went to the Fryderyk Chopins Museum. In the evening we had a little party at one of my classmate's. Robin said it was very great and it was the best moment of all the visit in Poland. (cont.)

On Saturday morning we had a picnic in a horse stud. There was a possibility to play basketball, football and volleyball. There was a barbecue too. Everyone who wanted to try, could ride a horse. In the afternoon we were at our regional event, which takes place every year, but it was a short moment. In the evening, me and my friends had a little farewell party for Robin, because he had to fly out from Poland on Sunday morning. At the end we played at console. In my opinion that exchange was a very good experience for me. We could breake many stereotypes about Germans and Poles. It was very funny when we talked about our tongue twisters. I think I never used English as much as in these 5 days. It is the best language training you can imagine. No book gives you such possibilities to learn it. After that exchange I have only good memories and I hope, I can take a part in such an event one more time. By the way, me and Robin built a very good relationship and when it was time to say goodbye, we hoped, we would be able to meet in the future once more.

Micha Paka

After the Comenius visit in Poland

From 17 to 22 May in the exchange project I hosted a girl from Germany called Corina. It was a very interesting experience and I am glad that I could participate in the project. This helped me to overcome language barriers and get used to English language by using it every day. I think that this visit also helped to break down stereotypes about people from Poland. I think that the whole visit in Poland was well organized. Our guests saw and learned a lot about our region. In my spare time I was taking my friend for a walk, I told her about our city. She also met many of my friends . On Saturday, a picnic was organized in the stud horse Troja. We spent several hours there. There was a grill and many other attractions such as horse riding, playing basketball or volleyball courts, walking and watching the horse stables, and the integration . In the evening, atogether with Corina and my friends, we participated in the celebration of blossoming apple trees, which is a tradition in Grojec. This day was the most liked by my friend from abroad .Unfortunately, on Sunday morning we had to say goodbye to the group of students and teachers from Germany . Magdalena Tyminska Me and my family were hosts for Matilde Cappelletti, a girl from Italy. Together we spent a nice time. We were at the pool, had pizza, met her Italian friends. I think it was a very good experience. I do not regret the fact that Matilde was staying in our house. The great experience for me was that the whole time I had to speak English. Sometimes it was difficult to communicate but we tried and it was OK. I want to keep in touch with Matilde and once meet her again, because she is a very nice person. I hope she liked it in Poland, and she will want to visit our country again. Marta Wrotniak

About my visit to the school in Grojec

The Polish school in Grojec has about 500 students, split up in 21 classes. We did not spend a lot of time in school. Only one day we joined the lessons. The first one was physics, in which the students prepared little experiments to clarify some natural laws. (E.g. low pressure, acoustic or electricity) After that we joined there German lesson, in which the pupils sang some songs from more or less famous German rock bands. It was pretty amusing to listen to them, most probably because of there little accent but still entertaining. But all together they were quite good. Afterwards we (the other members of the Comenius project) presented our schools and countries in front of all students in the assembly hall. After that there was a foodcompetition with a lot of delicious apple products. The competition was about dishes, which were primarily made of apples, that we had to taste and to decide afterwards which of these where the best. Another interesting fact about this school is that in the breaks music is played, chosen by the students themselves. All together we had a very nice stay in Grojec and we hope to visit all the people again. Robin

Our memories from Grojec

Grojec is not very big town, but its so beautiful. It has got green places. There are many flowers and trees. When you walk in the town you can see the park, the police, the hospital, the fire engine, the swimming pool, schools, churches (that some of them are very old buildings) and etc. In the streets you can see many smiling people. Around Grojec there are many orchards. From them they take many kilograms of apples and other fruits. There are many factions for apple juice around Grojec. There is the famous faction for beer Warka too. When we was in Grojec, we had the chance to meet with the mayor of the town. This meeting was very useful for us. The mayor told to us some very interesting things for Grojec and Poland. Iveta Ivanova and Elina Nikolova from Bulgaria

Thank you, Sandra!

When we arrived at Sandra's house, her mother and a small dog welcomed us. Sandra showed me the yard and their house. She told us about her school, what she is interested in and some aspects of the life in Grojec. In the evening we and Sandra's friend went for a walk around Grojec. I found that Grojec is a small and beautiful town. It is very clean. The people are living in houses with yards. It was very exciting for me to make new friends and contact in English. Everybody was friendly with me and I feel at home. Great thanks to Sandra and her family. Irina Atanasova, Sofia

A memorable event
In May this year five Bulgarian students with two teachers and the principal of the Nikolay Liliev primary school went to Poland. Our students stayed with heir Polish peers families. Thus they had an opportunity to learn about their life and language and they also improve their spoken English. The excursion to some places of interest such as a local brewery in Warka, the Polish Parliament and Chopins museum in Warsaw and the town hall in Grojec helped us to overcome the language frontiers. In the Chopins museum there are impressive technical wonders providing visitors with a detailed description of Chopins life and work. We also had a chance to explore Polish culture and traditions during the Blossoming Apple Festival in Grojec and to experience the beauty of the ancient Royal Castle in Warsaw. We didnt miss the Museum of Warsaw Uprising in Warsaw. Polish people cherish their long history with years of progress and a national disgrace. The day when the partners from Italy, Cyprus, Germany, Turkey and Bulgaria gave a presentations of their schools and information about the state education system in their countries will certainly be unforgettable. The students and the teachers from our school are deeply grateful to their Polish partners for the perfect organization of the event, for their kind hospitality and warm smiles and the enjoyments! Irena Boneva, Sofia, Bulgaria

Trip to Poland
The trip to Poland was a great experience. he country is beautiful and peaceful. The people are amiable, sociable and hospitable and made us from the very first moments feel like home. During the day we were visiting many places and sightseeings. We also had a chance that we didnt missed and enjoyed the nightlife after the necessary arrangements made by our Polish friends. I owe sincere thanks to Magda and her family who hosted me with such care and love. I am confident that our friendship born in Grojek will last forever. Nasia Kelepeshi

GZEM AHN'S IMPRESSIONS

Hi everybody. I'm Gizem. When our school's teacher, Muradiye Suba told me that we're going to Poland, I was really walking on air with joy. This will be the first time of my going abroad so I was excited. On the first day of our trip, we went to Germany-Mnich Airport then to Poland-Warsaw Chopin Airport. My Polish host friend's name is Violeta. Violeta's family is very hospitable and they are very very kind. I can't speak Polish, they can't speak Turkish but we could communicate each other by heart. I can easily say that Violeta is good at speaking English. Violeta and her family are very helpful. I will never forget their smiling faces. Violeta, her mother, her big brother The BAF and project coordinator, Mr.Pawel Posnik had planned some visits and activities. For example, a visit to the Museum of Warsaw Uprising affected me very much. We watced 3D-Movie about the bombardment of Warsaw and ruins, and reconstruction of the city. I hate wars. In Warsaw we went to Chopin's Museum where everybody could choose and listen to Chopin's pieces; it's possible to participate and live in the performances. Very enjoyable moment it was. We walked around old town and bought some souvenirs for my family. We visited Polish Parliament and we met a member of Parliament. He made a speech there. On the third day of our visit, the partner countries introduced their schools and regions to the audience. Our teacher Mrs. Suba made Power Point presentations in the school assembly hall about Trkiye, Krkkale and about our school. After that, all the Comenius Group took a wallk round Grojec. By walking alltogether we went to the nursery, primary and lower secondary schools. In the city hall, we met with the Mayor and Starost. In the school we watched Romeo and Juliet's theatral performance. After tasting apple products prepared by students, we voted for the winner. Deciding on the best team was very difficult for me. Each table/ group was the winner for me. Because they prepared lots of apple home products and they laboured only for us. We had a lunch at a traditional restaurant. One day Violeta, Piotr, Ozan and I ate Kebap in Poland. We rode on horses and then had a picnic. In the afternoon, we took part in the events of 'The Days of Blossoming Apple Trees Festival. On Sunday we took a coach trip to Zelazowa Wola. We listened to the piano concert in open air in Chopins birthplace- a very relaxing soft music accompanied with the beauty of boundless nature. Thanks to Wiola Sokolowska and thanks to her family who cared me like their daughter. Gizem ahin, Bra Bay, Krkkale-Trkiye

Romeo and Juliet in Grojec

The play On the second day when I was in Poland, polish students played Romeo and Juliet. It was a story of two kingdoms- red and blue. They had fierce war. The king of the red organized a masked ball. The son of the blue king was called Romeo. He went to the masked ball because there he want to see Rosalina. They were in love. He was going there with his cousin Benvolio. At the ball Romeo sow a girl from the red kingdom. Her name was Juliet. Romeo at once loved her. The obstacle for his love was the war of his and her families. The kingdoms became in peace because Romeo and Juliet diet. They diet because they didn't want to live without each other. I like the moment when many people died. It had to be tragedy, but actually looked comic. Irina, Sofia, Bulgaria

A day in the The Royal Castle Our Polish friends took us to the castle of the king in Warsaw.The tour guide gave us earphones and showed us the rooms in the castle. All the rooms were very tall and thewere many paintings on the walls. There were wooden and marble ornaments . We learned many facts about Polish history. The palace is extremely beautiful, very magnificent and majestic. I was very interested in visiting the castle. I wish I could go there again. Rossi Mihaylova, Sofia

My impessions of Warsaw
When you think of other capitals of Europe, like London, Paris, Rome or Berlin, words like metropolis, fashion and modern lifestyle immediately get into your mind. But is an eastern city like Warsaw really equal to them? My expressions just confirm it: Yes it is. Warsaw definitely fulfills all those features. In order to consider the cultural aspects, it has a lot of brand new and modern museums. The Warsaw Uprising Museum, for example, takes you back into the past. Through a 3D-movie you are able to experience how life was during and after Second World War. Another wellcreated museum is the Chopin Museum, right in the center of the city. There you've got the chance to discover the life and success of one of the biggest musicians ever. More sights, you may not miss, are The Old Castle and of course the Mermaid, which is the landmark of Warsaw and which is situated in the beautiful Old Town. Here we are already at the next site of the capital you absolutely have to visit. The Old Town has to offer many nice cafs, bars, traditional as well as international restaurants and lots of shops where you can buy souvenirs. The houses are very colorful and the whole area is enormous clean, so it's just perfect for hanging around or going for a walk. But now to the probably most important point for young people especially girs: shopping :) Even there, Warsaw has no disadvantages, more the opposite. In the main street you find every luxurious label you want, from Escada to Louis Vuitton. Furthermore, there are amazing modern shopping centers, over four to five floors, with Polish and international stores, like H&M, Zara, Promod or Tally Weijl, restaurants and cafs, where you can easily spend a whole day. All together Warsaw is a fantastic, exciting and interesting city, in all aspects and truly worth to visit. Laura

COMENIUS WEEK 2-9 of May

During the Comenius week our school decided to follow some activities: Photographic exhibition of all the actions that have taken so far(meetings in other countries, celebrations in Cyprus..etc Balloons were all over the school yard. Each balloon carried a small message written by children between the ages of 12 and 15 expressing their hope for Europe .Visit to the local authorities and informed them about our project . During the brakes the students could hear music from our partners countries .

My "German" family Hello, I am Sara . In May 2011 I joined a student's exchange with Bad Reichenhall, Germany. It was so nice and I want to tell you all how my guest-family was. My guest-father was Peter. He is a very positively thinking person and very kind. I haven't seen him a lot, because he was working. But the impression that I had about him was that he is a real good father like he is a real good guest-father. He treated me like a daughter. My guest-mother was Andrea. She always spoke to me, was worried about me, and tried to make me happy. She always took me anywhere for example when I came back from the trips and from school. There are no words to describe her ... So he only thing that I can say: Thank you, my German mother ...My guest-sister was Steffi. She is a shy girl, but likes to socialize with friends. When I was in the family, she explained to me what they were saying because I did not understand everything. even if I study German. Steffi has got a real nice smile. My second guest-sister was Eva. She is the older sister but because of various commitments we have not been able to tie such a lot as we wanted. This Exchange was my first experience outside my own family, and although it was not an easy thing to make I enjoyed it and I am ready to return!!! Sara De Giovenale, Massarosa, Italy Wonderful experience A TRIP TO WARSAW - ROYAL CASTLE Form 17th May to 23rd I hosted in my house a girl form Ital Sylvia (fifteen). Although we did not spend much time together, we had a good time talking, walking and watching TV. Also we were at the hairdresser's and pizzeria. Sylvia tried to teach me Italian language but I remember only a few words. That was funny. We spent the last evening in the small city near Grojec called Tarczyn. There we took a lot of photos in the rain. We laughed and had a good time with each other. I wont forget this time! Sylvia has a good sense of humor and is a person full of life I would like to spend more time with her and I think we will forever keep in touch. It was an amazing experience and some kind of the test for me. I would like to experience something like that again! ;) Thanks for the great time! Kate Urbanek

The best experience in my life From 17th to 22nd I took part in the exchange program of Comenius Project. I was the host of one girl from Germany - her name is Laura. We were in similar age so it was very good. It was the best experience in my life. We were spending all days together and now I miss her very much. She told me about her country, school, friends, traditional dishes . During her visit we were talking in English all the time so it was a very good lesson for me. Thanks to this exchange I improved my English. I met groups from the other countries, too. We had a great time together on the picnic in Troja and on the trip to Warsaw. Everyone was sociable and the atmosphere was fantastic. Now I know the culture of other countries. To sum up, I have great memories. I made friends with amazing people and I think our guests changed their minds about Polish stereotypes. I hope they will come to Poland again. Klaudia Wroniewicz My summer vacation My summer vacation is very nice. First I went to my grandmas village. This summer is very hot, but it doesnt matters. When Im in the village, I can do everything: to relax, to play in the garden, to read books, to listen music. This summer I red any books: Osceola The Seminole, Under The Yoke and Charles Chaplins autobiography. In the village is very funny. There are my lovely pets: two dogs and one cat. My grandma has a kitchen garden. There she grows vegetables: carrots, potatoes, cabbage, onion, cucumbers, marrows, dill. Always when Im in the village I help my grandma to grow the vegetables. Later Ill be back in Sofia for a few days. There Ill go to the cinema, Ill ride my bike, Ill play with my friend Gabi. When Im in Sofia, I often go to the house of my grandparents. There I get together with my cousins Niky and Yana. Niki is 13 years old, Yana is 4 years old. In August Ill go again to my grandmas village. Ill stay there till September. Probably in September Ill go to the sea with my parents. The summer is very interesting season. I love it and Ill love it ever. Kalina Popova, Sofia

HOOOOOLIDAAAAYS
After a very tiring year, holiday is a kind of a necessity. Everybody certainly wants to go on holiday in order to give up body and mind stress and for a little bit exhaustion.It might be any travel, anywhere or any other activities. Holiday will possibly give us energy. And, being away from usual everyday life will lead more enthusiasm for the next working term. Holiday is very good in terms of physical and mental resting of human beings. Open air, different people, different meals, different cultures or countries are good ideas for holidays. When people are on vacation, they are going to have a free spirit. During the rush times of working period one cannot bewith herself or himself but a real personal care is possibly being actualized on holidays. In this way we get fresh air in the nature furthermore we'll get out of the negative energy. Feel yourself over the sun, on the clouds, in the deep blue part of sea or above the hills while enjoying the nature. No traffic, no noise, no pollution, no urgency, no rushness, no stress, no panic, no city life, no exam, no mark. This is holiday. We can hang round, we can have fun with my friends and we can relax, we can go sightseeing, we can do sports, go to the zoo, draw pictures, go shopping, chat on the net, watch TV, have a picnic with my relatives etc. There're different types of holidays such as cultural holiday, cycling holiday, cruise holiday, golf holiday, skiing, hiking holiday and so on. We may have the opportunity for all activities on holiday swimming, rafting, mountain climbing, reading books, windsurfing, paragliding, riding jetski, playing all kinds of tennis and a lot more activities dancing with the rhythm of the song of natural beauties. Taste great delicious meals and discover new flavors. Get new experiences in different cultures. But don't forget at the end of the long holidays, people may live the adaptation syndrome to working life. Hayrnnisa Cnger-Trkiye

The most stressful exam

Last year I had the most stressful exam in my entire life. It was exam at the end of my Gimnazjum. It
decided to which school I would go. Before the exam, I wasnt nervous at all. I had been preparing for it for 3 years so I had thought that it couldnt surprise me. I was wrong, one day before the exam I felt that tomorrow something would go wrong. On the day of the exam I woke up early because I didnt want to be late. I sat in a big hall with other students and the teachers gave us papers with test. The exam started. When I read it I had a gap in my mind. My hands started shaking and I started to get swollen all over my body. I told myself Calm down. After 15 minutes it helped and I started writing. When I came back home I was very disappointed and I was really scared that I wouldnt go to the school I had dreamed of. After two months when I saw my results I was happy. It went great and I had enough points to go to my dreamed school. Now I cant be so self-confident before my exams. The next big and important exam is Matura and I know that I have to prepare for this big stress before it comes . Maciek Warpechowski The most stressful exam I've ever had So much stress before the exam after Gymnasium. It was very stressful for me because I was afraid that it would go badly and I would not get into a good school. I was stressed out, I couldn't eat or concentrate on anything else. This exam did not go badly, I was pleased with myself. In retrospect, I know that the stress was not needed. Now I realize that this was one of the easiest exams, because of "Matura " exam I am going to take at the end of my present school and then I will certainly be even more stressed. Marta Wrotniak

Matura exam in Poland

Maturity exam is called Matura in Poland. It is one of the most important and stressful exams in students lives. It is taken at the end of secondary education. Students taking this exam are usually 18 or 19 years old. It is not a compulsory exam, although students must pass it if they want to go university or other higher education course. It is always taken in May, usually for approximately three weeks. There are only two exams on each day of this period. The first one is in the morning and the other one in the afternoon. Each exam can be taken on two levels: basic or extended. The extended version is more difficult and students have more time to solve all the exercises. Every student taking maturity exam has to take three compulsory subjects at basic level, which are: Polish language (which includes knowledge of both Polish and European literature), a selected modern language (students can choose between English, French, German, Italian, Spanish or Russian) and mathematics. If they want to, they also can take these exams at an extended level. Students can also choose up to six additional subjects, which are: biology, chemistry, geography, history, information technology, physics and another modern language. These are the most typical subjects, but students can also take some less typical subjects, such as: knowledge of dance, history of art, history of music, Latin and Ancient history, philosophy and languages of some ethnic groups. These exams can also be sat at basic or extended levels. Students decide themselves at what level they want to sit exams. Polish and foreign languages exams include both written and oral examination. The written work is assessed by independent examiners. This is in order to make the results more objective. Results of maturity exams are expressed as percentages. To pass the matura it is necessary to score at least 30% at basic level in each compulsory subject. If you fail your maturity exam, then you can retake it in August. Results of additional subjects dont affect whether a student passes the exam or not. The results of matura are usually a factor while students are applying for higher education courses. In Poland universities usually dont run entrance exams, but only depend on matura results. A famous custom associated with matura is studniowka, a ball organized for students and their teachers approximately one hundred day before the maturity exam. Micha Komarnicki

Good/Bad sides of exams Here are some students' opinions on exams: 'In the life of every teenager there are a lot of tests and exams. Hardly anyone likes exams because they are very stressful and we must revise a lot before them. But as we know everything has their bad and good sides. I want to write something about these good sides because not everyone sees good sides of exams. When we stay up long nights to revise for an exam we are very tired. But when we look back at the exam after some time we know that we expanded our knowledge we trained our brain more. We must learn but if we like the subject which we learn its for us pleasure. If we want to have a good job we must learn. We must learn because our future depends on it. The more exams we write the smarter we are. So exams have a lot of good sides. Maybe learning isnt easy but it gives us sweet fruit in the future.' Sergiusz Zieja. Bad sides of exams: Stress prevents from showing the whole knowledge. We need to revise a wide range of material. We need to spend much time revising. We dont have time for friends and fun. If we dont pass, we need to retake the exam. Exams dont check true state of knowledge', Iwona Wysocka Bad sides of exams: 1. All exams are very stressful and the students forget all the acquired knowledge. 2. If we don't pass our exams we don't get to our dream school. 3. Students don't like getting bad notes. 4. If we get bad notes we have problems in choosing the right school. 5. Having a bad day or depression may spoil the results. 6. If students don't pass exams, they must wait for a long time to retake them. Good sides of exams: 1. If we get good notes, we're happy and satisfied. 2. The exams check our knowledge and everyone takes the exam in the same conditions. 3. We choose the subjects, which we want to take. 4. Exams help you be better organized. 5. We learn to control our time. 6. Exams broaden our knowledge and force us to think', Katarzyna Kosinska. Italian Exams The third year of Scuola Media exam in Italy. Italian students take their first important exam when they are about 13, at the end of the third year of Junior High school, commonly called Scuola Media. They receive a certification called Licenza Media which enables them to go to high school, or represents the lower level required for their compulsory education to be complete. The exam takes place in June, at the end of their regular lessons, and consists of several tests. On the first day, students have the Italian composition test, then, day after day, they have a Maths test, an English test, a second foreign language test (French or German, in our school) and finally a National Test which is the same for all Italian schools. A few days after these written test, students must face an oral test, including questions on all the subjects. The teachers at the exam are usually the same teachers who have been working with the students for three years. The results must be published before the 1st of July. The test are not particularly difficult, of course they are prepared by the teachers and structured just for the levels achieved by the students. Boys and girls may prepare papers and topics to support their oral test.

EXAMINATION What's your occupation? Are you a student or a teacher? If you're still a student, you may know the meaning of what an exam is... For Turkish students, exam is LYS, SBS or YGS. For Polish students it may be called MATURA, for Germans it's ABITUR, for British people GCSE, for others TOEFL, KPDS, TUS, TOEIC, Cambridge Exam etc. Though the names are all different, the aims-purposes of the axams are the same: to assess the academic performance of a student, to know if the student's level is enough to go forward to another level. Why do the exams exist? The teachers evaluate the learners' levels and decide whether they've learned the target points or not. Written and/or oral examinations, tests, interviews, physical tests give a hand to the teachers, lecturers to measure the capabilities of the students. By means of the exams teachers get idea what other methods or techniques s/he should use. But for the exam takers, fear of failure may mean stress, panic or depression sometimes. Our teacher Muradiye Suba sometimes gives tips to be successful. According to her the learners should be well-equipped to have more self confidence. Listening to the teacher during the lesson time, repetiting the learned parts constantly, exercising-practising, concentrating and using time efficiently will help the exam takers to learn better and as a result to get higher marks in the exams. Here or there all prestigious schools have exam procedures. And in order to make progress in our professional period, we'll have to take those exams and we must get ready for them. Furkan Urcan- Trkiye

Marks in Bulgarian Educational system

In Bulgaria we have a few levels of our Educational system: Kindergarten, Pre-Primary school, Primary school, Gymnasium (Vocational school). Except the process of continuous assessment at schools during the school year, Bulgarian students have to pass exams after each level of their education. After IVth grade they pass exams in Bulgarian and English language, Maths, Natural science, History, Geography. They are given marks by external for the school appraisers. After VIIth grade the students pass exams in Bulgarian and English language, Maths, Natural science, History, Geography, Biology, Physics. Then at the end of the school year they have to pass exams in Bulgarian language and Maths and they work hard all the year for these exams because they are decisive for their future. By received marks they applied for the next level gymnasium and as everybody wants to go to more elite school, the students with higher marks go to the most attractive schools. Darina Dushkova, Sofia

Bulgarian Apple Pie

Use the words in box to complete the recipe. Apples sugar cinnmon raisins almonds butter (melted) phyllo dough bread crumbs Peel, core, and finely chop (1) a. Mix with (2) s, spices, (3) r., (4) .. and 2 tablespoons melted (5)b. Unwrap (6) p d.. and keep between two dampened tea towels. Place one sheet of dough on a third tea towel. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with (7) b c. Repeat with remaining sheets of phyllo. Spread apple filling along one long side of dough. Filling should be spread about three inches wide. Fold long side over once to cover filling, then fold in edges. Continue to roll lengthwise, like a jelly roll, using towel to help. Brush each roll with (8) b., and place, seam side down, on a lightly buttered baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F. about 20-25 minutes, until golden. Cool and cut into slices. Do you want to play a game? http://www.kefche.com/igra/Apple%20Strudel%20Recipe-97358 Elitsa Muntyanova, Sofia, Bulgaria

MINI PUZZLE

Aye Yldrm, Krkkale

English Exams Hi! My name is Brunella Sacchelli and I am an English teacher in my school. At the end of June the students of the third year had the Final Exam and here is the copy of their English written test. Each student had to choose among two possibilities: a text with questions or the composition of a personal letter. THE BRITISH FLAG The National flag of Britain is the Union Flag, more commonly known as the Union Jack. The flag embodies the emblems of three countries (England, Scotland and Northern Ireland) united under one sovereign. Before the reign of James I, these countries were separated and had their own flags. In honour of their patron, St. George, the English had as their standard the famous white flag with a red cross. The Scottish flag was blue with a white diagonal cross, this being the emblem of St. Andrew, while Irelands flag had the red diagonal cross of St. Patrick on a white ground. When King James of Scotland became the king of England too, the two countries agreed to unite their flags into one to form what was called the Union Flag of Great Britain. The Union Jack was adopted about two hundred years later, in 1801, when the Parliaments of Great Britain and Ireland joined to form a single Parliament. On that occasion the emblem of Irelands flag was added to the Union Flag which thus became the flag of Great Britain and Ireland. It may interest you to know that the flag of Wales does not appear in the Union Jack because when the first Union Flag made up in 1601 Wales was already united with England and no longer a separate monarchy. The British are very proud of their national flag. But most British people do not talk about or show patriotic feelings. You will see the Union Flag flown from government offices, or in peoples homes. Every now and then, the British make an exception to their lack of patriotism. This usually happens on a royal occasion, like a wedding, or an anniversary. Then they bring out their Union Jacks, have picnics and fireworks, and wait hours to see the soldiers and the royal family go past. SAY TRUE OR FALSE AND CORRECT THE FALSE STATEMENTS: -On the British flag there are the emblems of the 4 countries of U.K. -Before the reign of James I, England, Wales and Scotland were separate countries. -England and Scotland united their flags before the reign of King James I. -The Union Jack comprises the emblems of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. -Wales did not join England -Most British people are not fond of their national flag.

LETTER WRITING Write a letter to a pen-friend telling him/her about yourself, your town, your daily life, your hobbies and interests, etc. Ask him/her some questions on the same points. Then ask him/her what he/she is going to do next summer and tell him/her something on your plans for the future, particularly how you are going to spend your summer holiday. Tell him/her about a trip you went on (with your school, your family or friends, etc.). DONT FORGET the date and address. Open and close the letter properly.

Articles and Quantifiers Put a/an/some/a few in front of the indgredients.

Apple Pie Ingredients: *dough: -... margarine -... yolks -... castor sugar -... baking powder -... flour *apple crumble: -... apples -... breadcrumbs -... vanilla sugar -... sugar

Apple Dumplings Ingredients: *filling: -... apples -... cinnamon -... vanilla sugar -... sugar *dough: -... flour -... egg -... oil -... water

About fast food Hello my name is Sophie and my name is Nina, our favorite food is FAST FOOD Of course we know it isnt healthy but it taste very good. We often eat it but we know it makes you fat. But why do every children like fast food? Thats easy to explain. The preparation of fast food is very fast and everyone likes it when it doent take a long time and it tasts very good. ''But fast food isnt good for your health'',everybody tells you. Is that true? Yes,it is. A study says that there are more fat people than thin people in the western world. And thats scary. Living Hello, my name is Christina. I like different kinds of food. I like Fast food very much but I like salad or other healthy things, too. I do many sports. I do Karate and Fencing. You have to do sports, because it is healthy for your body. You can run for your endurance or strength training for your muscles. But you have to eat healthy too. Not so many calories, fat and sugar. A healthy diet Our names are Heli and Luisa. We come from Germany and we are going to talk to you about how to have a healthy diet! You always have to have a clean working surface and wash your hands and fruits! When you want to prepare a healthy pizza or anything else, be sure to use healthy food like vegetables and salad!! Always take the food with the fewest fat and sugar. Dont buy things which are rich in calories. That means: chocolate bars with almost no sugar and fat, We both love to eat fast food (for example from McDonald) but we have to look that we dont eat to much of it, but we also love healthy food like salad, fruits (like strawberry, apples,...) A lot of sports belongs to living well and healthy. Heli loves to dance hip hop and breakdance and Luisa loves to do gymnastics like acrobatics. It makes even more fun, doing it with friends! Facts about fruits and especially apples Due to the results of extensive research, we cannot get away from the fact that they are extremely good for us, and that eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables can lower the risk of and prevent a number of serious illnesses and health problems, such as cancer, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. The recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables is 5 portions. Health benefits of apples. An apple contains an impressive list of essential nutrients, which are required for normal growth and development and overall nutritional well-being. Apples are low in calories; 100 g of fresh fruit slices provide only 50 calories. Apple fruit contains good quantities of vitamin-C and beta carotene. Vitamin C is a powerful natural antioxidant. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body. In addition, apple fruit is a good source of B-complex vitamins Together these vitamins help as co-factors for enzymes in metabolism as well as in various synthetic functions inside the body. Apple also contains small amount of minerals like potassium, phosphorus and calcium. Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure; thus counters the bad influences of sodium. Maria Zographou

Apple Food Competition An apple is just a kind of fruit. But thanks to its nutritious value and delicious taste, this round fruit has become one of peoples favoutite. During the visit to Poland, the Polish students wanted to show a wide range of meals with APPLE as an ingredient. Believe it or not, all the meals looked amazing,

and they tasted even better. See for yourselves: Working holiday With the start of holidays I always begin to help my parents in the orchard. In the early August, I help with the cherry harvest. I go with my dad to sell this particular kind of fruit. At the beginning of the school year we begin to pick apples. Like in the case of cherries, I help parents to sell them. Besides this, when I have time I look after our fruit trees. This work is hard and time consuming but I like it. Krzysztof Kowalski Newton's Apple - the truth about it We've all heard the story. A young Isaac Newton is sitting beneath an apple tree contemplating the mysterious universe. Suddenly - boink! -an apple hits him on the head. "Aha!" he shouts, or perhaps, "Eureka!" In a flash he understands that the very same force that brought the apple crashing toward the ground also keeps the moon falling toward the Earth and the Earth falling toward the sun: gravity. Or something like that. The apocryphal story is one of the most famous in the history of science and now you can see for yourself what Newton actually said. Squirreled away in the archives of London's Royal Society was a manuscript containing the truth about the apple. It is the manuscript for what would become a biography of Newton entitled Memoirs of Sir Isaac Newton's Life written by William Stukeley, an archaeologist and one of Newton's first biographers, and published in 1752. Newton told the apple story to Stukeley, who relayed it as such: "After dinner, the weather being warm, we went into the garden and drank thea, under the shade of some apple trees...he told me, he was just in the same situation, as when formerly, the notion of gravitation came into his mind. It was occasion'd by the fall of an apple, as he sat in contemplative mood. Why should that apple always descend perpendicularly to the ground, thought he to himself..." So it turns out the apple story is true - for the most part. The apple may not have hit Newton in the head, but I'll still picture it that way. Meanwhile, three and a half centuries and an Albert Einstein later, physicists still don't really understand gravity. We're gonna need a bigger apple.

Adam's Apple ... What is it??? What is an Adam's Apple?? You're at the high school baseball game with your friends, and you see your big brother's friend Justin in the dugout drinking from a water bottle. With every sip he takes, a big bump moves up and down on the front of his neck. The boys your age don't have bumps like that, you think to yourself. And come to think of it, neither do any of the girls you know, no matter how old they are. What's going on here? When kids hit puberty their bodies and minds go through tons of changes. One change that every kid can count on is lots of body parts growing and changing shape. Almost every part gets in on the growing action, including the larynx (say: lar-inks). Another name for the larynx is the voice box, and it's in the throat. The larynx is what gives you your voice, whether you're talking, laughing, whispering, singing, or screaming! You can find your larynx by touching the front of your throat and humming. When you feel vibrations under your fingers, you've found it! When the larynx grows larger during puberty, it sticks out at the front of the throat. This is what's called an Adam's apple. Everyone's larynx grows during puberty, but a girl's larynx doesn't grow as much as a boy's does. That's why boys have Adam's apples. Most girls don't have Adam's apples, but some do. It's no big deal either way. But why is it called an Adam's apple? If you think it's called that after the story of the Garden of Eden where Adam ate a piece of the forbidden fruit that got stuck in his throat, you're right. An Adam's apple sometimes looks like a small, rounded apple just under the skin in the front of the throat. This larger larynx also gives boys deeper voices. Actually, girls' voices get a little bit deeper as their larynxes get larger, too. But because boys' larynxes grow so much more, it makes their voices deeper than girls' voices. The larynx doesn't grow to its new size overnight, though. If you've ever heard a teenage boy's voice sound squeaky, you've heard a larynx trying to get adjusted to its new size!

The day of the apple tree The day of the apple tree is in April in the city of Grojec. We apreciated the amasing taste of the apples of Grojec. On that day there was a big carnival, which noted appeles as a gift. The family , where I stayed with, took me to Sandras school. There was a competition for the best apple pie.There were a lot of different apple desserts. After that we went to the carnival. There were lots of attractions and we had an awesome time. I am very happy for having the chance of being there. I met so many new friends. Rossi Mihaylova, Sofia

Would you like an apple, please? According to some researches, apple is a miraculous fruit. Apple has always been a subject to the cooks, to the scientists, to tale writers, to Newton, to Robin Hood, even to Adam and Eve. It is also a subject to my mother because she often prepares foods with apple. Apple pies, apple cakes, apple candies, apple juice and she prefers cider vinegar in salads. The apples have magical powers to cure some of the illnesses. To underline this all over the world there is a common saying that "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Some medical searches show that "An apple a day" helps to cut down the risk of some types of cancer. Apple also decreases the bad cholesterol level and it might reduce Asthma Risks. Because apple has an anti-inflammatory benefit and by the scientists it's accepted as a natural antioxidant. Apple is full of minerals and vitamins for instance vitamin B, C, magnesium, calcium and potasium, fibers, pectin, lecithin...Vitamin C prevents scurvy and is very helpful to support the absurption of iron by the body.Furthermore, Calcium makes bones stronger and it may prevent the reduction in bone density to overcome the common problems of osteoporosis and menopause. Cider vinegar is used in salads to give taste. Apple has got quercetin element inside which is a protector of brain. So, one could possibly reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease by eating red apple a day. Fiber of apple is a good friend of stomach and intestines. Cellulose, pectin and lecithin may also be helpful to the intestines. Please, do not wait too much. Go, take and eat an apple immediately. Emine Doan-Trkiye Apple Cider Vinegar In all likelihood, you have a bottle of sparkling clear apple cider vinegar in your kitchen. Most probably you have also heard of all the health benefits of this wonder vinegar . You use it for marinating the meat, chicken and fish. Almost all the salads that you make contain apple cider vinegar. You make a conscious effort to put in a little extra every time, so as to gain from all its good healing properties. Most of Bulgarian people are using apple cider vinegar for salads. The apple cider vinegar, that is clear and sparkling, does not contain all the health benefits that you have heard of. Health benefits The Father of Medicine, Hippocrates used this vinegar around 400 B.C. for its health giving qualities. It is said that he had only two remedies: honey and apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is made from fresh ripe apples that are fermented and undergo a stringent process to create the final product. The vinegar contains a host of vitamins, beta-carotene, pectin and vital minerals such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, chlorine, sulphur, iron, and fluorine. Talking about apple cider vitamins, they also include vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin, A, vitamin P ( maintains the resistance of cell and capillary walls to permeation), vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and vitamin B6. Verginia Veselinova, Sofia

An apple a day 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away' is not a quote that people just love to say. An apple is a fruit which is well known for its nutritional value and numerous health benefits. The apple, which every nation considered for her own fruit, actually originates from the Himalayas. It is cultivated for the first time in Asia Minor, where spread in the Caucasus, Egypt and Palestine, and gradually throughout the rest of the world. The apple is mentioned in ancient written records of China, Persia, India and Rome, but only in the last century yield its significance as an outstanding health fruit. The apple is rich in many vitamins, minerals and trace elements, including: Vitamin C - even sweet varieties contain 30 grams of vitamin C per 100 grams of apples. Ascorbic acid helps the body to break down toxic substances, revitalizes cells and strengthens the immune system. Vitamin E - protects tissues from damage, acts against cellulite and tightens the strictures of the skin, making the apple excellent natural remedy against wrinkles. Vitamin PP - easy to deal with fatigue, depression and insomnia. Potassium - 180 mg of this element is contained in each apple. It is important for the transmission of nerve impulses and helps with mental processes. Iron - improves the composition of blood and is beneficial to memory. Magnesium - strengthens muscles and bones. Pectin - with cellulose acts beneficial to the metabolism and stimulates digestion. Very good clears intestines and contributes to more rapid weight loss. Iodine - it is contained in the apple seeds and is good for thyroid. Apple contains polyphenols, which: break down fat - clinical studies in Japan show that eating three apples a day before meal lowers the fat content in the blood of at least 20%. strengthen the cell walls - help recovery after injury, thereby preventing penetration of harmful substances in the blood. protect the gut - support the proper functioning and their regular emptying. neutralize the free radicals - prevent cells from degeneration and reduce the risk of malignancies. Experienced healing recipes with apples: Anti-high temperature - the forehead is required to compress of finely grated apples in a layer 1 cm thick on the two-layer gauze; Acute and chronic bronchitis - cut the apples and stew in a little water on slow fire; take of the mixture 1-2 tablespoons every hour; For tired skin - grate an apple without the skin, squeeze the juice from it and pour the gauze to be placed on the face for 15-20 minutes. Verginia Veselinova, Sofia

Our trip to Poland

In the morning of the 17th May our trip to Grojec began.We were 5 pupils and 3 teachers travelling from Germany to Poland. After a long and strenuous journey we arrived at Grojec in the evening where we met our host families.Our exchange partners were very nice and the next days we visited many attractions of the region. Our excursions: -Warsaw (Polish Parlament,Old Town, Royal Castle,Museum of the Warsaw Urprising, Chopin Museum,...) -Warka (brewery,Pulaski Museum,...) -Jabluszko (local fruit producer) -Grojec (St. Nicolas Church,festival of the blossoming apple tree) There was also an integration evening and a food competition (there we tried different homemade food prepared by the students). Finally I have to say that the Polish people were nice,openminded and hospitable. It was very interesting to meet the ather students from Italy, Turkey, Cyprus and Bulgaria. I am happy to be part of the Comenius-Project. Thank you for this great time! I am looking forward to see everybody again in January next year. See you,Corinna

4th International Folklore Festival Sofia 2011

Already fourth year at the height of the summer capital of Bulgaria - Sofia will become a meeting place for distant and unfamiliar cultures. Performed by the Sofia Municipality, under the patronage of President of the Sofia Municipal Council Mr. Andrey Ivanov, International Folklore Festival Sofia is one of cultural events with international and particularly national significance, which help us to preserve its national image through our folklore. It is one of the most important events in Sofia and speaks of the cultural heritage of different countries of the world. The International Folklore Festival in Sofia commences with a colorful procession in which the citizens join the participants from different countries and parade down the main street of the city. Fourth International Folklore Festival Sofia will be held from 21 to 25 July 2011 with the participation of Folk Dance Ensembles from 4 continents.(Algeria, China, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine, Italy, Serbia, Moldova, Mexico and Bulgaria) http://www.pbase.com/borisalex/folklore_festival_sofia_2011 Verginia Veselinova, Sofia

Polish food One of my best experiences during our stay in Poland was the traditional Polish food. Polish cuisine has influenced the cuisines of its surrounding countries, for centuries the Polish kitchen has been competing with France and Italy. It is rich in meat, especially chicken and pork, winter vegetables and spices, as well as different kinds of pasta, for example the pierogi. Generally speaking, Polish cuisine is hearty. The preparation of traditional cuisine generally is time intensive and Poles allow themselves a generous amount of time to prepare and enjoy their festive meals, with some meals (like Christmas or Easter breakfast) taking a number of days to prepare in their entirety. It is worth noting that most regions of Poland have their own local gastronomic traditions and distinctive flavours, like the area around Warszwa (Grojec) with its apple dishes. Famous specialties are: kielbasa (traditional sausage), zurek and flaczki (soups) and pierogi (boiled dough filled with curd cheese). Typical deserts are gingerbread and different kinds of cakes (often with apples). Tobi

Going to Germany Hello, I am Cecilia, in October I will be 12 years old. In May I went to Germany , to Bad Reichenhall, for a Student's exchange. I hosted in March during the Comenius-meeting a Turkish girl, and now I've got to try myself also to understand how my partner felt when she came here in Italy. Germany is a beautiful country, I loved the scenery, not to mention all the other things that we visited there. The train trip was tiring and boring but with the thought that I had to arrive I spent all fast. The thing that amazed me most was: the order and education around me. In the family that hosted me I was very well received, I found myself well with them and I think they with me. It's hard being away from home for a while, but I enjoyed it so much. When the German family had to communicate with me they said the things first in German then in English. Studying a language is so beautiful, most of all German. I've had the opportunity to learn it even more and better. Thank you so much for your hospitality, my whole German family and in particular my sister Isabell.

THE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS AND MAIDEN'S TOWER Trkiye, which is known as Anatolia has been the cradle of various civilisations. From the beginning of the ancient history, the Hittites, Phrygians, Lydians, Macedonians, Byzantines and Ottomans inhabited certain parts of Anatolia. It is on the great crossroads of ancient civilizations and it is a broad peninsula that lies between the Black and Mediterranean seas; between Aegean Sea and Asia continent. Trkiye is also a bridge between two continents that are Asia and Europe. Every corner of the country is full of natural, historical and cultural beauties. Bosphorus in Istanbul has a vital importance both historically and strategically. Bosphorus Bridge connects the continents of Asia and Europe. And centuries ago in Bosphorus there built a tower called Maiden's Tower which is now located on the offshore of skdar, stanbul. A few legends told about this historical tower. Once upon a time, there lived a king with a very beautiful daughter. A fortuneteller foresees that one day a snake will find the way to palace and it'll poison the king's beautiful daughter i.e. princess. Whenever the king learns this, he has the Maiden's Tower built over the sea as soon as possible. After the tower's construction, the king protects his daughter inside this tower and never lets her go out to prevent snake's bite. He's now calmer and happier because he thinks that being away from land and living on sea his daughter will be much more safer. One day as a gift to the king, a villager woman presents a basket which is full of ripe and very delicious grapes and the peasant says that grape is very healthy if the princess continues eating grape she will be much more energetic and much more healthier. The king gets happier after hearing the good sayings. A basket of grapes is gifted to the princess also. Nobody can escape from the fate. Under the grapes at the bottom of the basket a snake sleeps but nobody sees it. One night, the snake comes out and it bites the beatiful princess in this tower. Of course this is just one of the legends that has been told about the famous Maiden's Tower of skdar. Nowadays lots of tourists visit it and they also live the magnificent atmosphere of stanbul and Bosphorus. Sevgi elik - Trkiye

OZAN MERT ERKORKMAZ'S IMPRESSIONS My name's Ozan Mert Erkorkmaz. I'll not forget the moments I experienced in Poland. I'm a primary school student in Krkkale. My fafather's a science teacher, my mother's a housewife. I'm very excited and happy when I learn that I will participate in Comenius Project Visit with my English teacher, Mrs.Muradiye Suba. She has been to various foreign countries before such as Hungary, Austria, Bulgaria etc. A few months ago she went to Italy for the project and this time she's taking me to Poland. I can easily claim that travelling abroad was my best day. Mrs.Suba gave me the name and the address of my Polish partner. Piotr is his name. He's a student in a high school, in Grojec. His favourite sports are football and volleyball. Mine are basketball and football. His family is sincere and friendly. Culturally there was no problem but meals there, a little bit problematic for me. In Poland we had been in Polish Parliament, met a Parliamenter, visited local schools and the other regions of Poland. In Grojec, the high school students displayed science-physics experiments and I liked their shows very much. Very interesting, unusual and didactic ones. In the evening the rehearsal of Romeo and Juliet, which was performed by the students was perfect. The students were just like the professional actors or actresses. The clothes, the stage, lyrics. I congratulate all the players. The next day we went to the Chopin's Museum in Warsaw. Different from the other ordinary museums, it's very exciting and full of technologic equipments. The best side is that it's an interactive museum. The students prepared foods made from apples. A kind of a food competition. We voted to choose the best one. Apple is a symbol for Grojec because this is an area which has got full of apple orchards. Mermaid is Warsaw's landmark, Eagle is Poland's. Because the school by which we were hosted is a high school, the students are older than me and their Foreign language is fine. The students did the division of labour. Some took photos, some guided the guests, some helped to students or teachers. Eachone leaded to the different partner country. They were really successful in doing their mission. Thanks to them. Thank you Piotr, Tomazs and Agnieszka... Hope to meet in Trkiye... Love Ozan Mert Erkorkmaz,Furkan Urcan,Krkkale-Trkiye

HOW I SPEND MY HOLIDAYS In Poland holiday, which is the most desirable time of the year for all student, lasts for about 2 months - from the last Friday of June until the last day of August. Plenty of us are still wondering how to spend it, whereas the others have already departed. Some Polish people take a rest in their own country sunbathing and practising water sports by the Polish sea or climbing in the Polish mountains. There is also a group of people who prefer sightseeing monuments, historical buildings and art galleries. A significant number of holiday makers use a rich variety of travel agents to travel abroad to one of the most popular foreign destinations such as : Spain, Italy, France, Croatia, Bulgaria, Egypt, Turkey or Cyprus. I usually spend my holiday in the Polish mountains as we are keen on active ways of spending free time. At the beginning of July I'm going to go to Stronie Slskie, where we are going to hike and ride mountain bikes as well as swim in clear mountain rivers. The town is located near the boarder so we also going to cross it to visit some interesting Czech tourist attractions for example the capital Prague and Stone Town. Then in the middle of July I have arranged a trip to Hel with my friend Kamila. At the sea we are going to relax on the beach after a hard school year. It is a perfect place to enjoy water scooters, kitesurfing and windsurfing. Finally, I will spend two weeks of August in Szczawnica, which is located in the South of Poland near Slovakia. All members of my family are going to reach Rysy peak and visit Slovakian Aqua park Tatralandia. As it was already mentioned people plan their spare time differently according to their preferences and also economic situation. No matter where we spend our summer holiday it is important to be in good moods with a great company and be very careful in order to come back to school with unforgettable memories.

The Baltic Sea

The Tatra Mountains Magda Jasinska

DEAR COMENIUS PARTNERS, WE HOPE YOU HAD A WONDERFUL TIME IN POLAND. LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN. POLISH COMENIUS TEAM

IN THE NEXT EDITION:

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. ( The Big Issue) More articles on school and local events Comenius visit to Cyprus (21-27th October, 2011) How we spent the summer holiday. And many more

Editors: country coordinators: Pawel Posnik (Poland), Peter Ferrari Demski (Italy), Maria Zographou (Cyprus), Muradiye Subasi (Turkey), Ulrike Peterhoff (Germany), Verginia Veselinova Rakadijeva (Bulgaria) Contributors (writers): pupils/students from INTERNATIONAL BAF TEAM (Italy, Germany, Cyprus, Turkey, Bulgaria, Poland) Technical support for BAF website: Massarosa Team (Peter Ferrari Demski) Technical support with BAF3 layout: Bartosz, Michal, Damian, Mateusz, Dominik (Poland)