From March 13th, 2010 to March 27th, 2010, 29 students and 4 supervisors from the French school College St Augustin from Angers visited Gimnazjum nr 5 with Integrative Departments named after Robert Schuman in Myszkow for two weeks as part of the Two-Sided Language Project “Welcome to the Middle Ages”. This project is organized under the European Socrates Comenius program. It is worth noting that in the school year 2009/2010, 36 schools in Poland are implementing Two-Sided Language Projects, including Gimnazjum nr 5 with Integrative Departments named after Robert Schuman in Myszkow.
The project, which both schools have been working on since the beginning of the current school year in September, aims to improve the level of education, emphasize its European dimension, promote intercultural awareness, and improve foreign language proficiency. The whole undertaking is planned for two years. In the first year of work, students from both schools learn and compare the history of the Middle Ages in our countries. The project is being implemented through email correspondence, video conferences, workshops, language classes in groups, organizing exhibitions, and a two-week stay in the partner countries. This allows for direct familiarization with the realities of life in Poland and France, experiencing the culture of the countries and places associated with the Middle Ages, and above all, meetings with French friends.
During the two-week visit to Gimnazjum Nr 5, a wide range of activities were organized to introduce participants to the knowledge of the medieval period. These included:
– learning medieval-style dance
– learning to sing and play the bells on the composition “Breve regrum”
– sewing a medieval-style costume
– meetings of exchange participants with knights from the Knights Brotherhood “Czarny Dąb” from Żarki
– participation in trips to Mirow, Bobolice, and Olsztyn, as well as to Krakow and Wieliczka.
The French youth also visited the City Hall of Myszkow. During the meeting, the mayor presented a brief description of the city, historical curiosities, and answered guests’ questions.
This was the third international youth exchange between Gimnazjum Nr 5 and College St. Augustin.