Polish students present their trip to Spain

Students who were in Spain presented their trip to all the students of our school and to the local community. They showed the trip day by day from 2nd to 11th May 2012.
After that they presented Power Point presentations and gave some information about topics:
- “Spanish school”;
- “Weekend with my Catalan family”;
- “Spanish cuisine”.

Some more students opinions


The day on the Costa Brava.

On Thursday 10th May 2012 the Polish and Spanish students and teachers went on a trip to the famous Spanish beach- Costa Brava.
At 9 a.m. we went to the coach waiting at the high school in Castellar del Valles. The tour was not tiring, but long. We travelled about 2.5 hours. The weather was good all day.
We were all very happy with the route and could not wait staying on the beach. We got out of the bus and took a break for lunch. When we had eaten buns, we went on a sandy shore. We walked a long time. We were accompanied by beautiful views of the azure Mediterranean Sea. When we reached the beach (of course, the sand was hot and in the form of gravel) we laid out blankets and towels. We were on the beach only 3 hours. When we got dressed bathing suits at once we rushed to the relatively cold sea. Even the teachers took the opportunity to come in the sea. An hour before leaving the beach, we ate lunch. Spanish teachers ordered pizzas and sweet dizzy drinks. After eating lunch, we sunbathed in the hot sun. When the end of your stay at the beach was approaching all faces were red but nobody wanted to go home.
The trip from the beach was tiring for some of us. Some students were burned because they didn’t use a special cream with filter, other were so tired that there was silence on the bus. We came back to school at about 5 p.m.
We would remember that trip for very long time. Everyone did a lot of pictures, some took shells collected on the beach as a souvenirs.
We hope that this wonderful trip would stay in our memory for a long time.

Barbara Kuchejda





What do you think of Spanish people lifestyle?

A lifestyle of people from Spain is widely different from the one which we are leading in Poland. Spanish teenagers finish school at 5 p.m., they go back home, and in the evening they go outside in order to meet with friends.
Moreover in Spain people are very kind to each other and I have never met anybody unkind to other person. My Spanish friends have always been honest and tried to resolve all conflicts (both the ones Polish as well as Spanish) so that there was no trouble.
People from Spain are very open to new acquaintances and when the circle of my friends is narrow, they don't limit to friends from their school, but know their peers from other schools too.
They often meet in the circle of the family and have meals together where they talk about various cases.

In my opinion people from Spain are more open to new acquaintances and experiences than Polish.

Dagmara


What is your opinion about Catalan school ?

Staying for 10 days in Spain, I could see the school and lessons. Catalan school is really great. There are children aged from 3 to even 16 in it. It is very modern and beautiful.
It has three floors, with the kinder garden on the grand floor, primary on the first and secondary on the third one. It has a gym, a football field and a basketball court. They have a dinning room, a laboratory, and an art class. At the gym, Polish students could dance salsa in front of large mirrors. It was a wonderful experience.
The timetables are simple. They start lessons at 8:30, they have a break for breakfast at 10:30 and they leave school at 1 o’clock for lunch. After that at 3 o’clock they start again until 5 o’clock. Learning time is different from that in Poland. Spanish students have long breaks during which they can go home and they have less lessons.
However, the Catalan school is very good for me and I would like to learn there.

Karolina Witos




What is your opinion about Spanish family life?
I think Spanish family life is very similar to the life of Polish families. Spanish families are famed for their hospitality and warmth. When I lived in the Spanish family, I felt very similar as at home. Spanish atmosphere in the house is very nice. It is very important that we always try to eat together and prepare meals and clean up afterwards . In Spain usually a man prepares meals. In Poland it is rarely encountered. As in Poland cleaning house is the work of women too. Spanish families usually have one or two children. In a Spanish family children do not talk too much with their parents. Longest discussions are led during dinner and lunch. The families in their homes have a lot of things to develop their interests. Good example would be my host family in whose house there were a lot of instruments, because everyone is interested in music. Contrary to popular opinion Spanish people speak English well. I think that life in such a family is very pleasant and peaceful.

Magda P.



Our trip to Barcelona
Our trip to Spain was great experience. The best day in this time was Thursday when we went to Barcelona. We woke up very early and we went to school. Next we travelled by bus. Our trip started at 9.00 o’clock. In Barcelona we walked around picturesque streets. In the central part we saw the town hall. We saw very beautiful and admirable buildings. The most popular are buildings designed by famous architect Antonio Gaudi. At 1.00 p.m. we went by underground to Sagrada Familia. There we had some free time. We bought some souvenirs and we could eat lunch. At 3 p.m. we visited Sagrada Familia. This is a very beautiful church and it has got great sculptures. This church was designed by Antonio Gaudi and still hasn’t been finished yet. Later we went to the bus and came back to our houses. This day was really great and we will always remember it.


Justyna P.

During our stay in Spain we took a lot of photographs. We placed some of them on the wall in the main school corridor to present our trip to all the students from our school. More photos can be found on our school website: http://www.gimjusz.pl/wymiana.php

Students Opinions

Polish and Spanish students’ opinions of similarities and differences between their countries.

Topics	Similarities	Differences
People	Friendly, nice and hospitable. Hard-working and taking care of their children.	Spanish do not care about details. The Polish are more religious and more often go to church than the Spanish. The Polish wear  elegant clothes on more occasions than Spanish. They take care about tradition.
Food	Regular meals. Similar time of having breakfast and lunch.	The hot soup is an important dish for the Polish. Spanish like sea food, which is not liked by the Polish. Polish prefer hot tea, beer and butter. Spanish like drinking water and wine and add olive oil to their meals. Spanish students have their dinner later than Polish students.
House and place of living	Families from Juszczyna and Casellar del Valles live mainly in private houses. Juszczyna and Castellar del Valles are situated in the mountainous and hilly regions. There are a lot of trees in both places.	Inhabitants of Juszczyna grow vegetables and fruit in their gardens, but people from Castellar del Valles have got little gardens with very small sculptures and flowers(mainly roses).Their houses are situated close to each other. In the Beskidy region you can find some wooden buildings. Juszczyna is a village, Castellar del Valles is a small town.
Students and Their Schools	School El Casal and  Gimnazjum No.3 in  Juszczyny have got similar equipment in their classrooms. Students learn the same school subjects. Both schools have got gyms, playgrounds and canteens. Students of both schools can eat their dinners at school canteens. Teachers and students can  use computers and the Internet connections in their schools too. The humanities subjects are taught in the same way in both schools. Polish and Spanish students mustn’t use their mobile phones during their lessons. They should behave properly in their school buildings. They must follow some school rules.	The Spanish younger students wear school uniforms and a Catalan school is a private school, which contains  a nursery, primary and lower secondary schools. That’s why it is bigger than Gimnazjum in Juszczyna, which is attended only by students of lower secondary school. Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry lessons in Juszczyna are more interactive than in a Escola el Casel. Spanish students stay at their school longer hours than Polish students. They start lessons at 8.30a.m. and finish at 5.00p.m.However,they have a two-hour lunch break. School  day for Polish students begins at 8.05 a.m. and ends at 2.30p.m. or 3.30 p.m. The building of the Catalan school is bigger than the building of Polish school and it has got a different shape. The Spanish students are  driven by their parents to school ,but Polish students commute to school by a school bus.
Free Time and Hobby	Participating in traditional festivals, meeting friends, going to parties and discos. Surfing the Internet, reading books, playing computer games.	Different kinds of national, state and regional festivals.
Plans for Future and Students’ Dreams	Finish schools, get good education and jobs. Start families. Go sightseeing all over the world and visit partner’s countries again. Improve English and study different languages. Be happy and healthy.

I have been to Spain

My school trip to Spain!

My school trip to Spain was very cool. I met new people, Catalan students and their  families. I saw a new country, different from Poland.
We were on some trips:

- to Barcelona and Montserrat,

- a tour of Sagrada Familia and the Camp Nou,

-a journey by a cable car to the summit of the Montserrat Mountain,

-a day on the Costa Brava coast .

The  water in the sea was cold but we tried bathing in the sea. At 13:00 we ate lunch pizza and drank coca cola on the beach.

The Catalan school is nice. On its walls there are a lot of  pictures of roses(connected with the legend about St.George) made by children.

In Spain I liked  the coast Costa Brava and Camp Nou best, but I didn't like traditional Spanish food, for example, seafood. 

I would like to go to Castellar del Valles again, because this is a very  clean and quiet town.

I'm going to Spain in the future because this is a very beautiful country. There are worth seeing  monuments, churches, palaces, cathedrals, stadiums, sea  coasts and many other things.

I'm going to be in touch with my Spanish friend and his family.

I have gained some knowledge of Spain and Spanish people, their culture and history.

I never will regret the visit to Spain.

The family with which  I lived was very nice for me. I liked the Catalan family.

My family and I thank them a lot!

                Ola Mędrala

1. My trip to Spain was very interesting and exciting.

2. A trip to Barcelona was the best, because I visited Sagrada Familia, Rambles and saw a lot of interesting monuments and famous places.

3. I visited the stadium of FC Barcelona

4. I saw the Olympic athletics stadium. This is a historic monument in Barcelona.

5. A trip to Montserrat was interesting because I saw beautiful  mountains, I visited famous  cathedral and listened to the famous boys’ choir singing.

6. The day on the Costa Brava coast was very sunny. The beach is very beautiful there.

7. In the Catalan school, I liked sports lessons.

8. El Casal is a very nice school.

9. The family with which I was staying is very nice

10. Spanish people are very friendly. They are very happy.

11. In Spain? I liked the girls.

12. In Spain? Everything I liked. :)

13. I would like to go to Spain because I want to meet friends from Spain again.

       

                            Michał Greń

A few weeks ago I went Spain with my class and teachers. We went there to visit the town Castelar del Valles and to learn more about our partners’ country.
It was on the fourth of May when we went on a trip by bus to Barcelona. The journey lasted about one hour. Our travel guide took as to the busiest district in Barcelona. We were visiting all the historic and famous buildings. The most beautiful building was "Sagrada Familia"- a large  Roman Catholic church. It was rebuilt many times some of the towers are still being built. During the free time we could go to the shops, eat in the restaurants and relax. The trip was very interesting and I would like to come back there again.


My  opinion:

I think that a school day in Spain is too long. Students start lessons at 8:30a.m. and finish their lessons at 05 p.m.
Catalan people are very nice and friendly, they like meeting new people. They don't worry about anything too much. Catalan parents have to work a lot every day.



Weronika Murańska..

My trip to Spain

On the 2 May we left for Spain. We went to Spanish friends and we lived 10 days in their homes. We met all and talked about our lives in Poland and Spain. Polish students came back home on the 11 May.

In Barcelona we saw Sagrada Familia which is a very big church designed by Gaudi. On the 9^th May we went to Montserrat. On the Montserrat there is a big church. In the a church there is a sculpture of St. Maria – a black virgin. It is belived that she helps young women to have children.
                The day which we spent on the beach Costa Brava was very funny we were sunbathing all day and we ate pizzas on a beach.
                I did like salsa lessons very much. During Catalan lesson we were learning Polish and Catalan alphabets. We were giving  some presentations of the famous Polish people,Polish cuisine at Catalan school.
                Catalan school is big and beautiful with many windows. There is some  beautiful scenery outside the school building. Classrooms have got good equipment.
                Catalan family was very nice. I liked my Catalan host family. I felt in their house like in my own.
                I’m  dreaming about coming back to Catalunya and meeting host Catalan family I met  there very friendly people.

 Marzena Setla

Assessment of the Polish students stay in Spain (02-11.05.2012)

After the school trip to Spain Polish students have been answering the following questions and topics:

1.My school trip to Spain.

2.Our trip to Barcelona.

3.A tour of sports facilities in Barcelona.

4.What  could I learn about the monuments and historical places in Barcelona.

5.Our trip to Montserrat.

6.The day on the Costa Brava coast.

7.Activities at Catalan school(El Casal).Which ones did you like best?

8.What is your opinion about Catalan school?

9.What is your opinion about Spanish family life?

10.What do you think of style of life of Spanish students?

11.What did you like in Spain?

12.What didn't you like in Spain?

13.Would you like to go to Castellar del Valles again?Why?/Why not?

14.Are you going to visit Spain in the future?Why/Why not?

15.Are you going to be in touch with your Spanish penfriend or host family?

16.Have you gained any knowledge of Spain and Spanish people,their culture and history?

     Give some examples.

17.Have you improved your English during your stay in Spain?

Here is one example of their opinions on the stay in Catalan school.

1.My school trip to Spain.

My school trip to Spain was the best trip in my life!

2.Our trip to Barcelona.

Our trips to Barcelona were really amazing. We saw Sagrada Familia and Camp Nou.

4.What  could I learn about the monuments and historical places in Barcelona.

I could learn who, why and when the monuments  were built in Barcelona

5.Our trip to Montserrat.

Montserrat is a beautiful and very important place for Ctalan people like Częstochowa for the Polish.

6.The day on the Costa Brava coast.

The day on the Costa Brava coast was great! I was sunbathing and swimming in the sea. I loved that way of having time!

7.Activities at Catalan school(El Casal).Which ones did you like best?

We had some workshops and lessons :History,Biology,Spanish,Catalan and PE.

I loved History lesson most.

8.What is your opinion about Catalan school?

Catalan school is bigger than school in Juszczyna

9.What is your opinion about Spanish family life?

The Spanish family life is similar to the Polish family’s. However, I think that Spanish people life is really fast.

10.What do you think of style of life of Spanish students?

They spend more time in a school than Polish students.

11.What did you like in Spain?

I liked Barcelona very much.

12.What didn't you like in Spain?

I didn't like food in Spain.

13.Would you like to go to Castellar del Valles again? Why?/Why not?

Yes, It's a really nice town.

14.Are you going to visit Spain in the future? Why/Why not?

Yes, because it's a really beautiful country.

15.Are you going to be in touch with your Spanish pen-friend or host family?

Yes, I'm. I hope so.

16.Have you gained any knowledge of Spain and Spanish people, their culture and history?

     Give some examples.

I could see that Catalan people suffered from Franco’s regime like Polish people from German occupation and communism rules.

17.Have you improved your English during your stay in Spain?

Yes, because I have had many opportunities to speak English.

Justyna Mieszkowska

OUR BIG AND FAMOUS CITIES

Similarities and Differences between Cracow and Barcelona

Similarities	Differences
Cracow is the second largest city and one of the oldest cities in Poland(Krakow had a recorded population of 754,854 in 2009). Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain(the population-1.628.090 in 2008).	Cracow is situated on the Vistula River. Barcelona is located on the Mediterranean between the mouths of rivers Llobregat and Besós. The climate in Barcelona is warmer than in Cracow.
Many architectural works in both cities have been designed UNESCO World Heritage Sites. For example, the Old Town in Cracow and Antoni Gaudi and Lluis Domenech Montaner’s buildings.	Barcelona won the 1999 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for its architecture. Barcelona is the seventh most important fashion capital in the world. Barcelona hosted the Olympic Games in 1992. There is the  Wawel Castle-the Polish kings’ Castle in Cracow and one of the oldest University in Europe.
Cracow is the capital of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship and Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia.	Barcelona is a capital city of autonomous community(Catalonia),Cracow is only seat for the administrative unit  of Poland. Cracow used to be a capital of the whole country, Poland(1038-1569) for longer time than Barcelona, which was a capital of Spain only for a few years when the Visigoths conquered the city in the early 5th century.
Cracow and Barcelona have got a rich cultural heritage and they are cultural-sports centeres and major tourist destinations. They are also world’s leaders in economic, trade, education, commerce, entertainment, media, science and arts.	Cracow dates back to the 7thcentury, the city has grown from the Stone’s Age settlement. Barcelona is supposed to be founded in the 3rd century BC.
They both have got internationals airports.	Barcelona has got sea ports too.
The founding and names of Barcelona and Cracow are the subjects of some legends.	The name of Kraków is traditionally derived from Krakus (Krak, Grakch), the legendary founder of Kraków and a ruler of the tribe of Lechitians (Poles). In Polish, Kraków is an archaic possessive form of Krak and essentially means "Krak's (town)". Krakus's name may derive from "krakula", a Proto-Slavic word meaning a judge's staff, or a Proto-Slavic word "krak" meaning an oak, once a sacred tree most often associated with the concept of genealogy. The name Barcelona comes from the ancient Iberian Phoenician Barkeno, attested in an ancient coin inscription in Iberian script as in Ancient Greek sources as Βαρκινών, Barkinṓn; and in Latin as Barcino Barcilonum and BarcenoDuring the Middle Ages, the city was variously known as Barchinona, Barçalona, Barchelonaa, and Barchenona. Some sources say that the city could have been named after the Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca, who was supposed to have founded the city in the 3rd century BC.
There are a lot of museums, churches and parks in both cities.	There are some areas  of beaches in Barcelona. One of them was listed as number one in a list of the top ten beach cities in the world.
Most of the populations in both cities are mainly Roman Catholic.	Citizens in Barcelona speak mainly Catalan ,in Cracow people speak Polish.
Public lives were suppressed in both cities during Franco’s coup d’etat in Barcelona and German occupation in Poland.	Cracow gained independence after the Second World War, Barcelona after the civic war.

Happy Easter !

Easter brings fun, Easter bring Happiness,Easter brings God's endless blessings,Easter brings love and the freshness of spring.

Happy Easter to you and your families!

Polish students and teachers from a school in Juszczyna.

Famous Spanish and Polish People

On the 26th March the Polish students performed presentations about Spanish and Polish famous people. All students from our school gathered at the main hall could learn about great Spanish artists Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró i Ferrà, Aristide Maillol, brilliant architect Antoni Gaudí, modern Spanish famous sportsman Pedro Martínez de la Rosa and others.
They could find some more information about Polish great people as composer Fryderyk Chopin, writer Joseph Conrad, poet Adam Mickiewicz, king John III Sobieski, astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus and others.