Košice, Slovakia

EXCHANGE

During the school week of 04 - 12 November 2017 three students from each partner school were shadowing the school life in Základná škola Staničná 13 (Košice, Slovakia) to experience it in practice.

On the first welcome day, the host students introduced their country, the region and their town to their guests. The visitors learnt a lot about the history and the Slovak culture not only on that morning, but during the whole week.

The students and the teachers observed classes in the morning. Each day after the shadowing, there was a short discussion in small international groups reflecting on the learning activity, evaluating the day and sharing new experience. They also discussed essential criteria and aspects of an ideal school.

In order to increase the students' cultural awareness, digital skills and language skills, the students worked in international teams on individual tasks during the exchange.

• Shooting a film covering most interesting aspects of school and free time the students during the exchange.
• Creating a souvenir with snapshots of the host town/city during the stay to create a photobook.
• Host school in images: a presentation about the host school with the photos of the school environment and its facilities put into a presentation shown to other students after returning from the exchange.

The accompanying persons (teachers) were monitoring all the activities, giving advice and helping the students with individual tasks. The teachers had a chance to talk to the staff of the host school, observing the school life and classes.

DISCOVERING THE AREA

There was a treasure hunt in the centre of Košice which was the 2013 European Capital of Culture and the 2016 European City of Sport. There was also a field trip to learn about the culture and history of the region in an innovative way - a full-day trip to a royal medieval town of Bardejov (World Heritage Site) which is dominated by the monumental Church of St. Aegidius which hosts eleven precious Gothic winged altars with panel paintings, nearby Bardejov Spa with an open-air museum presenting folk culture of Eastern Slovakia of 19th and 20th century and another UNESCO Site - the wooden church of Hervartov from 15th century.