After a long time since this Erasmus+ HOPE project began, the participating schools have finally been able to hold a meeting, the first with a physical presence and it has been in Santarem, in the Agrupamento de Escolas Dr. Ginestal Machado.
The first day was dedicated to formal presentations, reception of the director of the school,
also including the reception at the municipality,
and getting to know the host school and also the other participating schools, through various presentations prepared by the students.
Dedicating some time to interactive games is also important in the first moments, to create bonds of friendship and facilitate intercommunication.
In the following days we met Santarém from our hosts: the cathedral, the old area, museums, … as well as the daily life of its inhabitants.
The program of the week also included knowing the tourist, historical and cultural spaces that surround Santarém such as the caves of Mira de Aire, Batalha monastery or the walled town of Obidos
… presentations prepared by students,
(You can see some of the presentations and games in the links at the bottom)
Some dissemination activities were also included, such as a video conference with Italian schools to tell them how the meeting was developing.
While the students’ accommodation with the host families allowed them to get to know their daily lives, customs, culture and food, the occasions of sharing food with the whole group also contributed to establishing ties, learning about healthy food and sharing good humor and friendship.
And so we reach the end of the meeting, as always faster than we expect and desire.
We close the week by sharing a dinner,
followed by the delivery of certificates of attendance,
and goodbyes.
We stand impatiently waiting to be able to meet again.
Santarém 27/11/2021.