ERIKA POCAFASSO

Comenius Assistant

at the 25 KINDERGARTEN

“BRATYA GRIMM”

SHUMEN (BULGARIA)

2009 - 2010

My arrival in the town of Shumen ….

My assistantship started in November 2009 and took place in the town of Shumen for 25 weeks

The city is situated in the north eastern part of Bulgaria, not far from the city of Varna on the Black Sea

… AND AT THE 25 KINDERGARTEN “BRATYA GRIMM”

The kindergarten “Bratya Grimm” is located in a suburban district of Shumen

It is specialized in art and craft

In the school there are about 250 children, split up in 8 groups from the age of 3 up to 6/7 years old

MEETING CHILDREN AND TEACHERS …My first day in school with the head teacher Miss Evgenia Tsvetanova, the pupils, all the teachers, staf f members in the kindergarten and the first meeting with Miss Buchukova, head teacher in 32 kindergarten “Drushba”

MEETING PEOPLE FROM COMMUNITY

Meeting with the Mayor of Shumen, the Assistant Mayor, the Director of Culture and Education, the Regional Inspector of Education, a representative of Bulgarian National Agency and some head masters from the schools of Shumen and other cities during the “Comenius Day” in Burgas

MY ACTIVITIES Teaching children English and Italian subjects through plays, songs, and use of didactical websitesTeaching English, Italian and French language to the teachersPreparing didactical projects

Being active and working in the following European projects:- Study Visit : “The use of ICT in pre-primary school”- Comenius : “Energy of nature”

Preparatory Visit “For Agree”- E-Twinning : “Tales in kindergarten”

“My day in kindergarten” “Save the children”

Taking place in conferences, festivals, television programmes, newspapers to talk about Italian Pedagogical System and CultureOrganising study visit and preparatory visitDeveloping teaching materials Taking place to the extra-curricular activities such as tours in

Shumen and in other Bulgarian cities, organising Bulgarian and Italian weeks

WHAT I LEARNT ABOUT BULGARIA …..

Visiting the most historical sites in Shumen and in the countryTasting all traditional Bulgarian dishes as banitza, kosunak, shopska salataLearning to dance the traditional Bulgarian dance: the “horo”-chain.Participation to the celebration of Granny Martha (1st March) - an holiday of the beginning of spring. Following the Bulgarian traditions:-creation and exchange of martenitsa-s

(twined tasselled red and white woollen or cotton thread) decorated for health-participation to the Orthodox Easter with the decoration of eggs-celebration of St.George’s Day on 6th May, in veneration of St George – patron of shepherds and herds.

WHAT CHILDREN LEARNT ABOUT MY COUNTRY

Organisation of an “Italian week” at the end of April to talk about Italy and its traditions. Different activities for each day of the week:

- Monday: showing powerpoint presentation talking about Italian history, traditions and customs, cities and holidays;

- Tuesday: reading Italian tales of Roberto Piumini, Gianni Rodari and Italo Calvino; organisation of some activities connected with the tale like draws or constructions of materials for example the Godmother’s magic wand;

- Wednesday: singing all Italian songs studied during the school year;

- Thursday: speaking Italian, by some basic expressions of communication and creation of dialogues among children;

- Friday: talking about Italian food and cooking pasta and pizza.

… WORKING IN PROJECTS …… COMENIUS “ENERGY OF NATURE”

Purpose of the project: developing awareness, both among children and their teachers - nature is the main source

The main focus was to create a general understanding of how we can make our environment better: to promote a pro-ecological and healthy lifestyle by ecological issues, organic food, recycling and sports activities connected with nature.

My role in the project: working with children and other teachers to create paintings, drawings, sculptures, plays and activities connected with nature through the recycling process

Comenius preparatory visit “for agree”

Meeting among four European schools to discuss about future projects

Focus of discussion: create a project stimulating in children and in teachers an interest in less known and useful European languages

Main activities to do during the 2 year- school period:

-by the use of ICT creating some activities in connection with culture, history and traditions of the participant countries

-developing an elementary vocabulary for each context in the language of the country

- sharing information in order to present each school in an attractive way and to stimulate children to the knowledge of other cultures.

E-TWINNING “TALES IN KINDERGARTEN”Purpose of the project: underline the importance of tales in teaching process above all in the study of a foreign language

My role in the project: teaching English by the preparation of activities in connection with plot of the tales “Cinderella” and “Hansel and Gretel”

Using tales, children can study a foreign language enjoying themselves!

In the frame of European Project “Tales in Kindergarten”, on the initiative of City of Shumen and 25 kindergarten Bratya Grimm organisation and preparation of an international round table about “Classical tales in aid of the teacher” to discuss the use of tales in the teaching process

V International Children Theatre Festival on European Classical Tales “Brothers Grimm” (including tales of European and national important narrators and tales of the Grimm Brothers)

Exhibition “Big books with classical tales”; books created by hand with any materials and with any form and style.

Round table about classical tales and the exhibition “big books with classical tales”

V INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN THEATRE FESTIVAL ON EUROPEAN CLASSICAL TALES “BROTHERS GRIMM”

E-TWINNING “MY DAY IN KINDERGARTEN”Purpose of the project: see the difference and similarities between partner kindergartens in Europe

Presentation of the kindergartens by photos or records and show of the daily activities done by a group of children

Partners prepare kids’ favourite songs, games and some easy words that children have to learn.

E-TWINNING “SAVE THE CHILDREN”Purpose of the project: preschool Highway Code educationLearning about different types of vehicles, traffic signs, rules, how children should behave in different situations and places (crossing the street, riding a bicycle, etc.) and the safety measures they could take in their daily activities regarding traffic topic in general.My role in the project: creation and preparation of different activities in English connected with the topic

Cedefop - study visit “ the use of ict in pre-primary school”

Organisation of the study visit “The use of ICT in pre-primary school” in NovemberRepresentatives participing to the project, coming from 5 European countriesMain activities: - discussion about the ICT methods used in

participants’ schools- what are common and what are new- shared informations about useful websites

for didactic purposes (like wiki)- creation of a common network sharing the

information about this study visit called “Shumen”My role in the project: help the head teacher in translations and in the preparation of the activities

THE LAST EVENTS DURING MY ASSISTANSHIP

First photo: celebration of the “E- Twinning day”

Second photo: celebration of the E- Twinning birthday (5 years of E- Twinning activities).

Last day in school: delivery of certificates and gifts in memory of my staying in Shumen

A LANGUAGE EXPERIENCE

Daily practise of Russian with adults and English with children

Lessons with children were in English and Italian

In January I attended a course of Bulgarian language

I passed an exam and I acquired a certificate of Bulgarian language (B1 according to the European Frame)

I achieved the certificate Europass Mobility

A good memory of bulgaria

High level of satisfaction: - to be welcomed heartly in the school- to be involved in each events of

Bulgarian life

Benefits of assistantship: - to acquire organisational skills and competences- to live and work in a multicultural environment- to improve my work in the European dimension - to be open to the dialogue and to the comparison besides getting in touch with a new culture, traditions, ideas and improving foreign languages.

THE END