ESCAPE online All project partners work and meet online in TwinSpace, web space provided by eTwinning platform. Both the teachers and students have their own accounts, which enables them to access the web, upload materials, c o m m u n i c a t e a n d collaborate. We´re 8 teams working here, thanks to eTwinning Plus the Ukrainian school from Khust joined the online

activities as well.

In the course of the whole project life cycle international online student groups will be working together on a number of topics such as eGovernment, eNature, eTravel,

eTransport, eSchool or eJobs.

During the first year we focused on four of

the topics. eTravel group compiled a tourist

guide and gave an insight into „must see

places“, „must do“ activities and „must

explore“ events . eNature group described

natural areas, animals and plants typical for

our regions. eGovernment group

concentrated on all necessities which are

needed for acquiring a driving licence in

partner countries. By the way it was quite

interesting to compare prices of driving

schools! eTransport group

worked prepared a

comparison of motorway

tolls and brought useful

information for all of us. For creating common outputs we used cloud tools, namely Google slides and documents that

are easy to use and enable to share work online all the time. As feedback we make

use of Kahoot! quizzes.

That´s it, owing to TwinSpace we´re in

touch also in between the project events.

Public link: twinspace.etwinning.net/1769

Czech team

No. 5

June 2015

Partners contribution

First Teen Festival

End of the school year

activities

End of the school year

Inside this issue:

ESCAPE online 1

Best Practice Presentation 1

Rainbow over the Danube 2-3

New Beginnings 4

Maturita in Czech Republic 5

Excursions 6-7

Our Man in Brussels 8

Best Practice Presentation

Elisabeth Hasiweder and Mi-chael Huber-Kirchberger were invited to present ES-CAPE at the eTwinning Da-nube Region Conference in Vienna on 18 and 19 June 2015. The eTwinning web-site, especially the online groups, were presented to about 50 teachers from 11 Danube region countries who had come to team up with new partners and register new

projects.

As ESCAPOE is still the only Austrian Erasmus+ project that has got a label from the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region, a copy of

this year´s report about activi-ties at Linz International Busi-ness School were handed over to Mr Jürgen Schick from the Austrian Ministry of Educa-tion, who presented opportuni-ties for schools at the Confer-

ence.

The 54-page LIBS-NEWS 2015, which also includes reports about ESCAPOE and CLYDE, our other in-ternational project, will be distributed at the next training event

in Sturovo.

A report about the project was also printed in the An-nual Report 2014 of our Na-

tional Agency.

On top of presenting a pro-

ject most teachers found very

interesting, it was also possi-

ble to start 3 new projects

that might also complement

ESCAPE in

the future.

Austrian

team

P a g e 2 E S C A P E N E W S L E T T E R

„The Danube region

is attractive with its

common history and

traditions, culture and

arts reflecting the

diverse communities

in the region, as well

as its remarkable

natural heritage“

FIRST TEEN FESTIVAL "Rainbow over the Danube" - Vidin 2015

FIRST TEEN FESTIVAL

"Rainbow over the Da-

nube" - Vidin 2015 took

place during the period 28-

30 May 2015. Initiator and

symbolic host of the event

was Vocational School

"Prof. Dr. Zlatarov "- Vidin

and organizers - Munici-

pality - Vidin, Regional

Information Center - Vidin

and Regional Inspectorate

of Education - Vidin.

The aim of the festival is

to promote the cultural

heritage of the European

peoples through real and

virtual travel.

The topic which high

school students worked on

is: Danube - European

memory!

The festival is an activity

of the project

"Improvement of skills and

competencies and best

prac-

tices for

the

econ-

omy." It

is fi-

nanced

by the

European Commission

Erasmus + Key Activity 2

"Cooperation for innova-

tion and exchange of good

practice” and is carried

out in partnership with

schools from Austria,

Hungary, Czech Republic,

Slovakia, Slovenia and

Romania for 3 years. Pro-

ject activities are related

to the study of the Danube

and the practical applica-

tion of the priority areas in

the Danube strategy, in-

cluding investment in peo-

ple and skills.

The purpose and theme

of the festival provoked

the commitment of Bul-

garia in implementation of

the EU Strategy for the

Danube Region. Adminis-

trative areas along the Da-

nube, in particular Vidin,

have the opportunity to

work in 11 priority areas.

Educational institutions

are entered in the Axis 9

Investment in people and

skills, as well as Priority

Area 3 Promotion of cul-

ture, tourism and contacts

between people.

The Danube region is

attractive with its com-

mon history and tradi-

tions, culture and arts re-

flecting the diverse com-

munities in the region, as

well as its remarkable

natural heritage. By ap-

plying a common and sus-

tainable approach to

improving and pro-

moting these oppor-

tunities the Danube

Region should be-

come a European

and world "brand".

Our contribution in

two priority areas is

the first Teen festival

"Rainbow over the Da-

nube".

The festival was at-

tended by over 200 high

school students from 10

European countries: Bul-

garia - Vidin, Bregovo,

Belogradchik, Lom,

Svishtov and Silistra /

Austria - Linz / Hungary -

Papa / Czech Republic -

Tabor / Slovakia -

Sturovo / Slovenia -

Ljubljana / Romania - Bu-

charest and Lugoj / Croa-

tia - Ogulin / Estonia -

N O . 5 / J u n e 2 0 1 5

Narva / Serbia - Nis and

Aleksinac /.

They competed in two

thematic categories:

'Performing Arts' - individ-

ual and group and "Digital

Art" - photography and

multimedia. The festival

aimed to provoke students'

interest in the topic of Da-

nube, to arouse their curi-

osity about the history of

the Danubian nations to

sharpen their observation,

develop their interests in

the field of ICT, language,

geography, history and lit-

erature and invite the audi-

ence on a journey along the

Danube - real or virtual.

A tourist educational tour

was organized for the par-

ticipants to get acquainted

with the rich cultural heri-

tage of Vidin - a visit to the

fortress "Baba Vida", the

Art Gallery "Nikola Pet-

rov", the Museum

"Konaka", the Cathedral

"St. Demetrius", the Trian-

gle of Tolerance - Me-

tropolis, Mosque and Syna-

gogue, a stroll along the

Danube River, a cruise

P a g e 3

“The festival was

attended by over

200 high school

students from 10

European

countries”

FIRST TEEN FESTIVAL "Rainbow over the Danube" - Vidin 2015

with the ship "Balkan Prin-

cess" and a trip the with

electric school bus.

According to the regula-

tion, the festival does not

require fee and allows part-

time involvement with

photography and multime-

dia, which certainly expand

the circle of participants.

40 students sent over 100

photographs, 17 people

prepared linear multimedia,

150 high school students

participated in stage shows.

The festival was covered

by the local media, website

and Facebook page of the

school.

On the first day of the

festival competitions in the

categories of

"Photography",

"Multimedia" and

"performing arts" - individ-

ual participation were held.

The demonstration took

place on the open stage of

the Art Gallery - Vidin in

the Danube Park.

During the second day of

the festival continued in the

Drama Theatre - Vidin

with competitions in the

"Performing Arts" - group

participation.

All festival participants

received certificates and

awards in the competition

categories provided by the

co-organizers.

Electronic photo album

nominees for participation

photos can be viewed at:

http://

www.youblisher.com/

p/1158649-GALLERY-

FESTIVAL-VIDIN-2015/

Photos from the festival

and links to multimedia

page "FIRST TEEN FES-

TIVAL Rainbow over the

Danube" in the electronic

platform eTwinning:

http://

twinspace.etwinning.net/17

69/pages/page/28215

Eli Cvetanova - Vidin

school coordinator

P a g e 4 E S C A P E N E W S L E T T E R

„a warm

"Goodbye" which

symbolises the end

of one's childhood,

but which also

points one towards

new beginnings.“

New beginnings

As yet another eventful

school year was swiftly

coming to an end, the pup-

pils and teachers of

"Coriolan Brediceanu" Na-

tional College were dili-

gently preparing for the

first closing ceremony that

was to come - the

graduation of the

12th grade stu-

dents.

This year, some

of us got to be

more involved in

the preparations for

the festivities as we

surprised the soon-

to-be graduates by

decorating their

classrooms before they

came and said a last

"Farewell" to the place

filled with so many memo-

ries of the

past 4 years.

After

leaving the

high school

building and

walking

through a

passage

made by

puppils of all

ages holding flowers, the

12th grade students

headed to the town's

"House of Culture" to get

their graduation certifi-

cates and listen to the

heartfelt words of their

teachers and principal who

wished them the best of

luck. Before the closing

ceremony ended, the for-

mer head of the

class handed

over the school's

key along with

his best wishes

to the students of

the lower grade

who will follow

in the steps of

their predeces-

sors the next year.

Throughout the

years, this graduation

ceremony has become one

of the many traditions of

our high school, a warm

"Goodbye" which sym-

bolises the end of

one's childhood, but

which also points

one towards new

beginnings.

Andra

Soreg,

Romania

P a g e 5 N O . 5 / J u n e 2 0 1 5

„there were a lot of

questions, about 20

-25 from too many

subjects. And

everything in one

day. It was really

exhausting. “

Maturita Exams in the Czech Republic

Czech secondary students

have their written maturita

state exams every May.

They sit for two

compulsory tests in the

Czech language and a

foreign language or Maths.

After two weeks or so they

také an oral part which

consists of languages and

two other exams, set by the

school, eg. sciences, social

sciences, biology, history

etc. In most schools

students take their finals in

four subjects. This year in

the Czech Republic did

graduation about 99

thousand students.

This year final exams in

our school were from 4

May to 27 May and were

divided into two parts.

Written exams started on 4

May and finished on 13

May, then the second part -

oral examinig started after

a break during which

students had more time to

prepare.

The exams are different in

business academy and

in economical lycee of

our school. In business

academy jthe

graduation consists of

the Czech language,

accountancy,

economics and maths

or English/German/

Russian/French. In

lycee they do exams in the

Czech language,

economics maths or

English/German/Russian/

French and one subject

which they can

choose. Oral exams

are public, which

means other

schoolmates or even

family/friends can

watch them.

We made a short

interview with two

schoolmates about

their feelings for the

graduation:

“How did you cope with

stress?”

Radka and Lucie:

“Really badly, we cried

every day and we ate a

lot of chocolate.“

“How was the night

before the exams?”

Radka: “It was

good, because I slept best

in the whole month. “

Lucie: “This was

the worst night in my life,

I didn't sleep enough.“

“Did you use a talisman?”

Radka: “Yes, I had

a four- leaf clover from

my mother.“

“When did you prepare

for oral exams?“

Radka: “After the

written exams, It was

about 11 May.“

“What was the hardest?“

Lucie:

“Accountancy, for both.“

“How would you rate the

graduation?”

Lucie : “As very

hard, there were a lot of

questions, about 20-25

from too many subjects.

And everything in one

day. It was really

exhausting. Never again.“

Anna Dalihodová, Denisa

Hanzalová

Czech team

P a g e 6 E S C A P E N E W S L E T T E R

„From Kehlheim to

Sulina the Danube

can be used by

ships, the distance

is 2414 km.“

Excursion to the Danube

At the end of the school year 2014-2015, we went on a brief excursion to the Danube. The students had to look for the marking stone 2135 ab Sulina, which indicates the dis-tance to the estuary of the Danube. As none of the students knew where it was, it needed the help of the teachers to find it. There the students were given some pertinent infor-

mation:

The Danube, which is 2783,4 km long is marked upstream, that means that the stones are counted from Sulina upwards. The dis-tances from Sulina to Galat

are marked in nautical miles, and from there in

kilometres.

From Kehlheim to Sulina the Danube can be used by ships, the distance is 2414 km. The ships can also use the Rhein-Main Danube ca-nal and can go down the

Rhein to the North Sea.

After that short lecture, the

group also had a look at the

marks for the floods in

1954, which can be seen at a

pillar of Nibelungenbrücke.

Austrian team

P a g e 7 N O . 5 / J u n e 2 0 1 5

„ At the end of our

school year all

classes go for a two-

day trip. “

A trip to Vávrovka

At the end of our school year

all classes go for a two-day

trip. We travel to different

camps in our area. Our trip

started at 7 o’clock at the rail-

way station. The journey

lasted about 1 hour. When we

came to the camp of Váv-

rovka we got a sheet of paper

with pictures of places and

we had to found those places

in Vávrovka. After the game

we had lunch and some rest.

After that we visited a

climbing centre. It was

amazing and exciting.

We really enjoyed it.

In the evening we fol-

lowed a trail courage

which was scary, inter-

esting and exciting.

The groups had to re-

turn at 12 hours at the

latest, but the last

group came at 4 am, because

they couldn’t find the way.

The other day we played games

and we grilled sausages. The

trip ran very fast. We really en-

joyed it.

Czech team

Our Man in Brussels

With the support of the Erasmus+

programme of the European Union

The European Commission support for the produc-tion of this publication does not constitute an en-dorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of

the information contained therein.

Our man in Brussels paid a visit to us. Christian Strasser graduated from our school in 1982 and works in Brussels for an environmental department. He is in charge of examining projects about elec-tric taxis or the re-naturation of a la-goon that has been destroyed by min-

ing.

Mr Strasser comes

to other every other

year as part of the

project “Back to

School” that encourages graduates who work in Brussels to go back to their school

and talk about their work

About 160 students in 2 groups took part

in that event at our

school.

Austrian team