For us, culture is what we have left our parents and part of the common heritage of a region, a

country, a race,.....

In our school this year we have rediscovered our culture.

Usually we don't have at school lessons about our traditions like dances, songs or traditional

costums.

We rediscovered the belgian welknown people, some danses out of our folklore, a lot of singers

and writers, some scientifics ans too man which went in the space.

Today, our culture is a culture based on business worldwide lobbies : music, clothes, mobile

phones, playstations, computers, games,....

A Comenius project in Poland – Belgium – Italy – Romania - Spain - Turkey

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What does “culture” mean for us ?

Culture

Special foods

peopleSpecial days

humor

monuments

Jacky Ickx K. Clijsters Franquin HergéPoelvoordeDirk Frimout

Stromae

Manneken Pis

La Fête de Mai

Bayard Horse

Namur's citadel

Brussel's Grand Place

National rain

Our school is a public school. We must respect the neutrality of our teaching. Students can choose

courses about different kind of religion or just philosophy lessons.

Teachers can not talk about religion in the classroom unless they speak as part of a history lesson of

civilisations.

Because of that, all the schools in Belgium, don't have the same names of hollidays.

date Public school (as this of us) Scool organized by a catholics group

27/09 Commemoration of the Belgian revolution in 1830

The 27 th of september we commemorate the belgian revolution which

makes that Belgium became an independant country. It's a free of school

day.

29/10 - 02/11 Autumn hollidays „all the saints” hollidays

11/11 Commemoration of the end of the first world war

Children of all the schools of our commune

are involved in this commemoration even if it's a free of school day.

24/12 - 04/01 Winter hollidays Christmas hollidays

11/02 - 15/02 Carnival hollidays

01/04 - 12/04 Spring hollidays Easter hollidays

A Comenius project in Poland – Belgium – Italy – Romania - Spain - Turkey

Special church holidays ?C

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The Caracole is a traditionnal danse of wallonia. Musiciens use traditional instrument to make

music.

Flûte à bec psaltérion Flûte traversière

accordéon diatonique mandoline violon

tambourin Bohran

A Comenius project in Poland – Belgium – Italy – Romania - Spain - Turkey

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Traditional dances and customs ?

Boulet à la liégeoise

Ingredients:

(for about 10 balls)

- 500 g of minced beef

- 500 g minced pork

- 4 slices bread (crusts removed) soaked in milk

- 1 onion, finely chopped

- 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped

- 2 eggs

- Salt, pepper, nutmeg, breadcrumbs.

Preparation of the ball

- Knead the above ingredients to obtain a homogeneous mixture.

- Roll the ball about 120 g each (by hand, not underarm Mr. Preskovitch!, Ed).

- Bake in a buttered dripping pan, for about 40 minutes.

And sauce

- In the drippings, saute 4 minced onions, sprinkle with a pinch of thyme, let brown.

- Add 4 tablespoons of brown sugar soup, to form a caramel, then deglaze with a dash of red

wine vinegar.

- Pour 1 liter of broth or water to which has been dissolved 2 beef bouillon cubes.

- Bring to boil and stir in 2 tablespoons good soup true Liège syrup and 4 cloves and a few

juniper berries.

- Season with salt and pepper and 2 bay leaves. Cook for 30 to 35 minutes.

- When cooked, add some raisins and cornstarch to thicken the sauce with butter or handled

(50% butter mixed with 50% flour).

- Adjust the seasoning.

- Arrange the balls in the sauce and simmer a few minutes over very low heat.

Accompaniment

Preferably handmade fries and seasonal salad or a well seasoned applesauce.

The forgotten vegetable hotpot

In Belgium we eat without complying with the seasons and products that come from far away

and therefore pollute the planet.

This year, we were involved in another project with about 30 other schools of wallonia. It was

about how we can have healthy food for us and good for the planet. Our project is to make a

book with different kinds of recipe, for each moment of the day, that is easy to prepare at

school (for many people) and whic use only regional ingredients and also only fruits and

vegetables of the season.

A Comenius project in Poland – Belgium – Italy – Romania - Spain - Turkey

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Traditional recipe ?

"What is Tolerance? Tolerance is not concession or indifference. Tolerance is the knowledge of

others. It is mutual respect born of a mutual understanding. Let us leave the old myths and

endorse the current research results: the man is not violent by nature. Intolerance is not in our

genes. Fear and ignorance are the root causes of intolerance, and its mechanisms may be part of

the human psyche from an early age. "

Federico Mayor, Director General of UNESCO, 1995

Tolerance is learned when you open your eyes to the reality of the other, when I can put myself

in place of the other and hear his views created by his environment, his experience, his

experience, ... . without having experienced it myself.

Therefore we have lots of activities with meetings where we learn to listen to another reality:

people of another age, farmers at home or from another country, students from another class,

another way of seeing our environment (eg recycling our waste to make jewelry ...)

In class we listen to how each manages to solve a problem then we train with each technique.

So we have several methods and we can choose the one is the best for us. In this way we learn

too, that difference is wealth.

For example : to resolve 28 x 22

Margot 28

and Lilas x 22

56

560

616

Vladimir 20 x 28 = 560

2 x 28 = 56

560 + 56 = 616

Pol et Sylvain

(28 x 20) + (28 x 2) = 616

Fanny (30 x 22) – (2 x 22) = 660 – 44 = 616 Eléonore with the computer

A Comenius project in Poland – Belgium – Italy – Romania - Spain - Turkey

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Tolérance et discrimination ?

A Comenius project in Poland – Belgium – Italy – Romania - Spain - Turkey

The tolerant pupil ?

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It's not easy

I'm tolerant everywhere

My heart is warm

I can keep my mind

I can open my mind

To the other's reality

I can share

I can keep my mind

I 'm a tolerant child

I'm kind

I respect the others, their opinions,

their religion, their way of life Differences are riches

We started our trip evil : the plane was canceled! We slept at the hotel in Belgium.

The parents were waiting for wome nowels : We send them a message via our blog : „We waited

for our plane ... It was announced half an hour late, then an hour and two hours .... finally tell us

that the plane was canceled .... CANCEL ...

Fortunately, we can take two planes tomorrow, TWO planes. First to go to Milan and from there we

take another plane to Cagliari ...All goes well, we are eating good pizza .... Kisses »

When we arrive in Sardignia, a taxi was waiting for us and took us to school in San Pietro Baratili ...

We eat pasta and we had a nice show with tradiitionnelles Sardinian dances presented by the

italian children. We have also learned to dance.

We visited Tharros. Of ancient ruins on a peninsula to an hour because of the school. When we

arrived the rain was announced. When she calmed down a bit we started on the path that led up to

the place of rendezvous with the guide. On the right the sea waves throw themselves on the rocks,

left, the calmer water of the inlet protected by the peninsula ...We made two groups: one group in

English, a group in Italian ....Our visit was very interesting. We learned that .....

Tharros, by its provision offers a magnificent view over the Mediterranean Sea and protected

natural harbor for boats. Long ago, some 3000 years, the Phoenicians, the people of the south,

specialists in navigation and trade, have discovered that port protected and are installed. It was the

first city of Tharros. Few hundred years later, the Carthaginians took their space and expanded the

city. They have set up temples which we could see the ruins.

In 50 BC, the Romans came and won the territory. They have set up homes, a portable water

aqueduct from the earth, baths, temples, water recovery system and a system of égoutage for

wastewater. We saw the remains still very well preserved (with regard to sewage and rainwater

tanks). They also found the difference in resistance of sandstone and basalt. We also saw how they

built their roads and their place on the forum. They were still like new when they were 2000 years.

In the fifth century, the Romans were divided into Western Empire (which quickly disappeared) and

Eastern Empire. Tharros still has survived hundreds of years under the influence Byzantine

completely before declining in the Middle Ages where because of the invasions of the Vandals,

people preferred to seek refuge inland. Despite the weather it was a very informative visit.

A Comenius project in Poland – Belgium – Italy – Romania - Spain - Turkey

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We met parents who host Fanny, Margot, and Simon

Hughes. These are very nice and very caring families.

Belgian children were able to say what they liked to eat

and how they like to have fun. Then they left with their

host family.

The teachers visited a traditional Sardinian. In the

garden there is a mandarin .. The mandarins were ripe

and juicy .. Not at all the same taste as you eat

imported into Belgium. In the evening, the teachers

shared a meal with Sardinian specialties. The mayors of

the three neighboring towns were present. It was a

pleasant evening.

We visit our partners in Sardignia.

The next day we went in the center of Sardinia. It's a long road since ... First on the plains and

the winding roads of the mountain. We climb up to 900 m. Two Italian children were sick and

vomited several others but did not feel well. Simon and Christine were becoming all white when

we finally arrived.

We were a very large group (93) people and we had only one guide. The snow and our shoes

that were not appropriate made this visit very difficult. But we learned a lot. In this village we

visit, politicians found it would be good for the renovation, the memory and the attraction to

their village to paint murals. They appealed to a great painter of Cagliari who represented, till

today, 33 images of the history and traditions of the village.

Formerly the shepherd in Sardinia was very important. Courageous, resourceful, strong and

intelligent, he drove his flock of 300 to 400 sheep and goats in transhumance from the center to

the south of Sardinia. He left at home his wife and children. The woman must manage the home,

educating their children and family property. It was then a matriarchal society, that is to say, where

women make important decisions. Today most of the shepherds are no longer Sardis because boys

do not want this nomadic life very hard and isolated. They are replaced by Romanians who come

herding and they are sedentary herds graze in the fields around a very isolated farm in the

countryside.

We were in another village, where was organized a traditional carnival. We get from the sister of

Lisetta's husband. Suddenly we were attracted by drums. A group of men dressed as shepherds,

women in traditional costume and children played the drum, and triangle pipiolo drawing people

after them to the village square. There, young teasers, blackened the faces of all those who

approached them. The sound of drums, many women were dancing. The atmosphere was very

cheerful, simple and warm.

A Comenius project in Poland – Belgium – Italy – Romania - Spain - Turkey

Thanks for all !

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The journey was long ....Up at 2:00, go to the station at 4 am .... without dragging the train, arriving

just in time to save us and embark .... There is an hour's time difference: we landed at noon, local

time, but it is still only 11 hours in Belgium. We went for visiting Istanbul The metro is easy and

cheap 0.80 euros per person, and leads us directly into the center of Istanbul.

Walking tour ... discovery of new odors, noise, people, houses and many, many mosques. The finest

is that of St. Sophia ....which is no more a mosque but is a museum about muslims religion.

Management of the group of adults is difficult : we arrive already half an hour late at school! Our-

four pupils were impatient to tell their night in the family ...

- Do you realize, the toilet is only one hole down!

- At home there are carpets everywhere we must remove our shoes .

- They eat on low tables, sitting on the floor or on cushions .... it hurts leg when coming up!

- They are super nice .... we communicate using google translation! We did not sleep much!

Nihal (the coordinator of Turkey)calls us, it's time to present and discuss the activities that we

made in our classes since we met in Italy. We go to the basement where there is a theater. Nihal

tell us that there may be noise: the workers are repairing the roof which flew off last week because

of a severe storm. After a few words of welcome from the alderman of education, the presentation

begins with our guests. They prepared a power-point mounting, small shows, skits, panels, live

traditional music, dances to introduce us .... Turkish culture .....

After a small Turkish coffee for adults, we are invited to listen to a concert. We are surprised to see

parents and students settled on chairs, calmly waiting for us, around a big empty rectangle ..... How

patient are our Turkish friends! The concert begins ... This is a pop-Turkish music... After the first

song we hear all sitting quietly, clapping his hands ....suddenly the italian

A Comenius project in Poland – Belgium – Italy – Romania - Spain - Turkey

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We visit our partners in Turkey.

At six in the evening, we meet the others partners from Romania,

Poland, Italy, Spain and we went all together to Bolu with a very

confortable bus : wifi, DVD, for each one !!!!

There, at the hotel, the host parents were waiting for us.

After a short meeting, children were going in the hosted family.

At the end of all presentations, we visited an exhibition of

art works, paintings, sculptures made by students with

recycled objects. Nihal invited us to climb into the staff

room for eating Turkish specialties. The various dishes are

a bit like, by their presentation, Spanish tapas, but they

are not the same ingredients: rice, grape leaves, spices,

zucchini, tomatoes, couscous, yogurt ..... and pasta. Our

young people have not eaten it all but they tasted several

dishes .... Arthur is proud to show off his empty plate .

teatchers get up and start dancing .... Turkish

(children), Italian (youth and adult), Belgian

(young and Michele), began to dance. A very

very nice and funny moment.

Vincent ... who does not dance, like other men and older boys, became "friends" talking football

(male language universal?? ?) Noé and Arthur are surrounded by a lot of young girls asking photo

with them.

The next day, we had a visit of the panels made by pupils of the school for the European project.

They talk about their culture, dances, costumes, food specialties and their superstitions. Such as

this superstition, very present in their daily lives, "the devil bead eye ', which as its name does not

indicate, is a lucky charm.

We had also two visit of lakes : one with a discovery of special regional water which is sel in botel

by a local industry and another were we had fun with exchange of specifics games of our countries.

A Comenius project in Poland – Belgium – Italy – Romania - Spain - Turkey

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We find the alderman that we had already

met in the morning and a delegate of the

Ministry .... They explain the educational

system in Turkey. This system is undergoing

a revolution ... For now, they spend one

year in kindergarten (6A 7 years) then they

have 7 years of required courses and then

they can leave school. From next year, will

come into primary and 6 years and will

remain in school until age 18.

Thank you for this intensive week !