Romanian Visit - by Vicky Harper (Teacher from England)
In November 2017, children and teachers from the partner schools met in Pitesti, Romania. We were all welcomed with beautiful flowers and it was wonderful to see everyone and meet some new faces.
We drove through some stunning scenery in the Carpathian Mountains with windy, twisty roads, snow covered peaks and horses and cattle roaming free, until we came to our destination, Bran Castle. What a fantastic building!
We loved hearing the stories of Dracula. Having the opportunity to visit the Houses of Parliament was a truly spectacular experience. The chandeliers and marble fours were phenomenal!
There were some amazing activities occurring at school. The children were so excited and passionate about looking after our environment. The 5 partner schools all worked together to learn the names of soil, sun, tree, squirrel and water in all native languages. The RE lesson, about world peace, was inspirational. The teachers and children all created verses on doves about peace, which later followed with a spectacular release of balloons and doves outside!
It was wonderful to experience an evening’s entertainment of traditional Romanian singing, dancing and food. The children had worked incredibly hard to learn their songs, dances and prepare the food. The children, including the visiting children, also performed two fantastic dances, which they learned during their time at the school. The entertainment, however, did not stop there. Our final night hosted a whole range of surprises. The children all had a party, arranged by the Romanian teachers, and teachers were treated to an exquisite three-course meal with traditional Romanian entertainment, including Irish river dancing.
