Innovations
(school
year 2001-02)
1. We created a small library in a classroom.
In this library students come to borrow books. It was created according to the
arrangements of a public library. 2 teachers were responsible and all students
had their I.D. Initiated by the headmaster of the school, we urged several
banks and publishers to assist us financially or by sending us books to enrich
our library. By the end of the year we had managed to collect 590 books.
In the same way we enriched our teachers’
scientific library that exists within the teachers’ office. It consists of many
books from donations of various fields of studies that come to 450 books and printed matters. We
intend to continue our effort in the next years.
2.
We added a
series of videotapes, Magic English, to the teaching of
the English language that seems to make students more enthusiastic in learning
the foreign language through new methods.
3.
We introduced
the teaching of basic IT lessons at the introductory class for gypsies. It was
something new for them and they seem to be happy doing it. Some more advanced students
write paragraphs while others draw.
4. We continued the IT program to the students
in the frame of their school hours.
A
special visit
5. During the European Educational Program Socrates/Arion and the Study “Intercultural Education”, that
took place in Thessaloniki, 4-8 March, 14
members and Experts on Education coming from 9 European Community countries
visited our school.
The foreign colleagues visited the class of
the immigrants and the foreigners, the class of the gypsies and one class of
the 6th grade. They attended the lessons and discussed with the
teachers and later they talked further in the teachers’ office with the
headmaster. They were familiarized with all the new programs that take place in
our school and were given handouts in English on the history of the school, the
innovations, the programs and activities. Also they were offered memorandums.
The afternoon a meeting was organized at
Vergina Hotel where for further exchange of theories.
The way that they were impressed is obvious
from the e-mail that was sent from the Ministry of Education, Department of
European Community for the very complimenting comments that they made
on our school.
A similar document was sent to the Ð. Å. Department of Western Thessaloniki.
We are considering as a school to apply
next year to COMMENIUS 1 program which is a European Schools program.
6.
We continued
the interior decoration of our school:
·
An display of
minerals, precious stones, ores.
·
A dinosaur
corner where pictures and information on more than 90 dinosaur species are
displayed together with 3-D pictures that the students can watch through
special glasses.
·
European
Community corner where maps and information on the history, the expansion and
our common currency are displayed.
·
A corner with
pictures of the heroes of the Greek Revolution in 1821.
·
A board with
pictures of our students that participated in activities and visits as well as
short texts that mention their impressions.
7.
We also have to mention that we had a new floor
in our gym. We used a plastic carpet. Also, with the assistance of the parents’
union and the gymnasium that is located in the same yard, we made a Theatrical Stage at the gymnasium’s gym
which was something that we wanted to do for years and we finally did.
8.
With the
assistance of the parents’ union we drew
and painted the school yard according to the standards of a basketball court.
9.
We have two
more computers which were a donation from the Eurobank, one from a parent that
we upgraded and two from the gymnasium. We had five personal computers from
last year and we will get eight more from the ministry of education so, the
number of computers at our school will come to 16.
Our aim is to have one personal computer in
every classroom apart from those in the computer room. To hope to accomplish it
in two years time.
Also, Citibank has offered some visual aids after our letter.
Furthermore, we purchased 2 TV sets and two Video recorders (parents’ union
contribution) which were placed on movable stands to serve the needs of all
classrooms. So, the number of TV sets has come up to 4 as well as of the Video
recorders.
10.
At the end of
the school year a program titled:
“Teaching uses of new technologies” was presented to our students. It was
program of the Aristotelion University in cooperation with the Educational
Department of the University of Florina. The application that was presented to
our students was titled Our Nourishment (compound words – triangle elements –
percentage)
The students participated and were
extremely interested especially in the survey questionnaire (a kind of quiz) in
which the students were split in groups, every group had a title and they tried
to get the higher percentage.