4 January 2016
The past year was filled with adventurous projects that continue to give students opportunities beyond the doors of the classroom. They have participated in many global linking opportunities by participating in projects with Sri Lanka, Lebanon, China, Germany, Sweden, Brazil, France, Romania Italy and many more.
We have had the pleasure of hosting and visiting our partner school, Rawdah High School in Beirut Lebanon and the Realschule Brioche, in Mülheim an der Ruhr Germany. We most recently had a visit from Vishaka Girls High School in Badulla, Sri Lanka.
Students have worked on a bookmark exchange with China and completed a virtual art project about Banksy’s graffiti art in the Gaza Strip with schools in Sweden and Brazil. In addition, students participated in many other Skype calls with Romania, Sri Lanka and Lebanon. Then there was the ever popular pen-pal letter exchanges and eTwinning projects with Germany and France.
In February, I visited our Connecting Classrooms partner school in Badulla, Sri Lanka and took with me work created by our students in collaboration with those of our partner school. This past December, we had the pleasure of hosting Miss Sachee for a week during our winter term of festive celebrations. She taught LSA students about her culture and cooked some fantastic Sri Lankan cuisine.
In May, we had a visit from our other Connecting Classrooms partner school in Beirut, Lebanon. It was an amazing week for students from both countries as this time students accompanied the teachers from Lebanon which has never before happened on a Connecting Classrooms visit to LSA. Seventeen students and teachers from Rawdah High School spent time shadowing students in lessons and taught us about their school system and language, particularly Arabic. I made the reciprocal visit to Beirut in October, again taking with me work that students produced on topics such as traffic safety and inspirational life stories.
In June we had our annual visit from our partner school Realschule Brioch, Germany as part of their work experience programme. Students from Germany stayed with host families, spent time in lessons at LSA and volunteered in various places around Lytham St Anne’s such as The Dalmeny Hotel, Jacks Bistro, and Lytham Hall Park primary school. Every year the programme grows stronger and both our community and students benefit from the annual visit.
By the end of the academic year in July, I was informed that our Erasmus+ partnership application was successful and we would be fortunate enough to have two years of European cooperation with schools in Cyprus, Germany, Italy Poland, Portugal, and Romania.
In November, we had our first two meetings with a Coordinator’s meeting in Bucharest followed by a week in Limassol, Cyprus with five year 9 students and two teachers. In Cyprus, we participated in a week long school visit with over 100 students and teachers from our Erasmus+ partner countries. We learned a lot from one another having participated in numerous workshops, presented to our peers and upon return, our students confidently shared their experiences in assemblies.
That wraps up 2015 but there is so much more to look forward to in 2016! More Erasmus+ will take place in April with details of which year group will be involved and how to enter for a place coming out soon. More eTwinning projects, continued pen pal letter exchanges and visits from Lebanon and Germany will also make part of LSA International success for 2016.
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