Week 12 2024 Visiting Budapest Hungaria 

Monday 18/03

Today was our first day of school.  First we got some info about the week and the "photo contest". 

Afterwards we got a schooltour from our student. Then we got an interesting demonstration about guiding dogs. 

Then we got an introduction about our project work, and we got some time to work on this. 

Then we took part in some traditional dance lessons with a part of the school from the enthusiastic folk dance teacher. 

Then we enjoyed the school lunch. 

In the afternoon we got a tour around the historic center of Budapest from the history teacher of our students, then we went on a nice cruise on the Danube, where we saw the presidential residence, the parliament and other beautiful monuments, we visited the basilica and the opera, then we all ended the day on a nice terrace

Tuesday 19/03 

Today, we took the train to Székesfehérvár( a lovely town that used to be royal residence as capital of Kingdom of Hungary during history). After that we an amazing tour from mister Daniel who told us a lot about the history of the town. We also saw a ruin of a church and some apartments who were build in the time that the Soviet Union were boss of the country.

We ate at a small vegan restaurant, it was something new for us but it was a good experience.

Than we went to a animal shelter called “Herosz”, where they keep dogs, cats and birds. We got a lovely tour from the owner who explained how they take care of the animals. All the animals that they keep, were left on the street or abused at home. We also met a parrot and turtle. We donated some food for the animals for supporting the business. At the and of the day, we took the train back and had an amazing evening.

Wednesday 20/03 

Today we worked on our project work about charities and social work. The Belgian students also did there presentation about charity in their school. There was also a lady who came to the school to talk about poverty in the villages in Hungary. Her goal was to bring awareness to us about this. We had to brainstorm in different groups about how to solve this problem. After that we had to present our ideas to the whole group. Then we went to the parliament and visited the whole building. We got a guide who told us everything that we had to know and showed us the crown jewels. It was very beautiful and shiny with all the gold decorations as you can see on the pictures. After that the Hungarian teacher showed us some other monuments and buildings and told there stories.

Thursday 21/03 

On Thursday, when we arrived at the school, we had our second folk dance class with some other Hongarians. Then two women from "Amigos" came to speak. They are volunteers for an association that helps children in hospital. Then we had time to work on our projects. Then we had a delicious lunch. After lunch a lady came and told us about the Tempus Public Foundation. She talked about Eurodesk and what you can do as a student for travel and she told us that you can travel with this organisation in the whole of Europe and what the different options were that you can take. After that we danced with Hungarians in the sports hall. We also played a soccer game with the Hungarians and that was really fun. After that we went with the tram to the Buda Castle where we walked a lot and where you had stunning views over Buda and Pest. We also got information about some statues and buildings. We took some pictures of the most beautiful view you have here in Budapest. After that we had free time and we did some things together.

Friday 22/03 

Today was our last day of school, today we had to present our presentation which we had worked on all week. First we practiced our presentation infront of our groups. Today there was an Art week and we could watch the dance competition in the gym, after that we had to present our presentation in front of 70 people. After the presentation we got our certificate. After that we had lunch and the food was very good. after that we also had a fun dance class with the dance teacher and we took a group picture with her. after the dance class school was done and we went to fashion street where we did some shopping. after the fashion street we went bowling with the whole group and ended the day on a nice terrace.

Week 12 2024 Visiting Martina Franca Italy 

Sunday 17/03

From Waregem to Martina Franca, in the heel of Italy, took us two hours by plane and one more hour in a small van. We arrived quite late, around half past nine pm, but it didn't prevent our hosts from giving us a guided tour through the old historical town with a late night meal on top of that. In other words, it wasn't easy to go to bed...

Monday 18/03

Today was our first real day in Martina Franca, Italy. We started our journey by doing some icebreaking activities to make us feel comfortable. We had to trust the others in order to create a bond for the rest of the week. Then we ate a social lunch, which means that every delegation brought some food, typical for their region. It was very tasty! In the afternoon, we played a city game to explore the beautiful city of Martina Franca.

A perfect way to start our trip! 

Tuesday 19/03 

For the 2nd day, we took the train to Tarente, where we attended a unique exhibition on underwater archeology. Then we visited an old castle used as a fortress. We also had time to explore the city on our own, so we did just that. After the excursion, there was plenty of dancing in Martina Franca's gymnasium. That was our 2nd and again sunny day.

Wednesday 20/03 

On Wednesday, we did a workshop on constitution in the morning and for this we were divided into four different parties. During the break, there were lots of typical Italian sweets for us to eat. For lunch, we ate focaccia together. Then we took the train towards Alberobello, a beautiful town here in Puglia. The town is full of trullis, which are little white houses with a cone-shaped roof, it was really beautiful!! We also ate a real Italian ice cream there. In the evening, we then went to Claudia's house and they organised a 'cooking lab'. So we made our own meatballs the Italian way together, it was delicious! We also played a few games together that evening. We had lots of fun!

Thursday 21/03

We spent a lot of time on the road. After a two-hour bus ride, we arrived in Lecce, a town in southern Italy. We walked around the old town and had a meal on-site. The restaurant where we ate with our group had walls completely filled with nice texts from customers. At the end, we were allowed to write our own texts. After that, we got back on the bus and headed to Otranto, where we also enjoyed the historic center and the beautiful sea. After a nearly three-hour drive, we had a family night. Were I went to a restaurant with my exchange student's family. 

Week 11 2024 Visiting Constanta Romania

Sunday 10/03

Today we traveled to Constanta. It was quite a long trip. Six o'clock in the morning we left at the school gate. We went by car as far as Charleroi. Then we took the plane to Bucharest and the bus until Constanta. When we arrived in Constanta we went for dinner with the group and another evening walk. This way we already got a good idea of the city. Afterwards we were all happy to go to sleep because it was quite an exhausting day. 

Monday 11/03

Today we saw our school in Constanta for the first time! First, we went over the schedule and took some photos inside the school. We were given a tour of the school and saw a lot: a botanical garden, catacombs from Roman times, even maths exercises. A volleyball match in the gym could not be missing from the tour! Afterwards, Luka & Vincenzo gave a presentation on our school and we compared the two school systems. Then it was time for lunch (McDonalds) and we all really enjoyed our meal. In the afternoon, we did a 'treasure hunt' to discover & explore the city some more. As a reward, we all got a sweet. 

After this, we did a 'terrasje' with Belgian Stella and returned to get everything ready for the 'food court' We tried Romanian food and it was much tastier than we expected! Then it was time to end the day with a nice drink on the roof of a building!

Tuesday 12/03
Today we started the day at 9am at school. We discussed a bit about our project and left the school at 10am to go to the mall. A comparison had to be done between the thrift shops and the high-end shops. After that we were free in the mall and we could go to any shop we like. We did a bit of shopping and afterwards we took the bus back, because we had a reservation at the bowling. It was a pleasant evening and when we arrived back home everyone had a delicious meal waiting for them.

Wednesday 13/03

Today we started the day in the early hours, as we had to get up around 4 am for a trip to the capital, Bucharest. After a bus ride of about 3 hours, we arrived at a royal palace on the outskirts of the city. There we were given a tour of the various historic and slightly newer rooms. We then visited the tropical greenhouses in Bucharest. Finally, we arrived in the city centre where we had lunch first. After walking through and past several historical buildings such as the Romanian Atheneum, we took the bus back towards Constanta. There we arrived at 20:30 after which we went straight home to spend the evening with our host family.

Thursday 14/03

Today we started the day with some field work. We had to interview locals about their opinions and experience with shopping sustainable. We were even rewarded with an Erasmus diploma. After working realy hard we got to play basketbal and volleyball. After these activities we had lunch. In the afternoon we visited a historical museum about Greek and Latin ruins. We also visited an orthodox church. We ended the day with dinner at a local pub, where we ate amazing burgers!

Friday 15/03

At 9AM we gathered at the school to take the bus to Danube Delta (Tulcea). We were on the bus for 2 hours to drive from the town to the Danube Delta. Once we arrived we took a boat trip. After the trip we ate a fish dish in a local restaurant that was prepared in a traditional way. We took the bus back at 3:30 PM. Once we arrived back in Constanta, we visited the Black Sea for the last time and then ended the trip in the rooftop café.

Saturday 16/03

Today we woke up after a fun night at the bar. We went to the bus station to go to the airport, at that moment we said goodbye to our Romanians who welcomed us, guided us, supported us and with whom we spent good and funny moments. We will definitely miss them. Arriving at the airport, we went through the border control which was very annoying but it happened fast. At the checkpoint, two of our group were stopped for no reason, not a big deal but quite annoying! Then we left and arrived on time, what a relief!

Week 11 2024 Visiting Sykkylven Norway

Sunday 10/03

On Sunday, we woke up early and we had breakfast. And we were brought to the sports centre. There we did wall climbing, played football and it was Belgium against Norway. Of course the Belgians won🤫. We also went to the gym. We immediately got into the physical health theme. Then we watched Zulte-Waregem. After this we went swimming in the fjord and took a sauna. The water was freezing cold though. We also did a beach walk with sunset. Finally, we went for ice cream with everyone and then went to sleep.

Monday 11/03

Today we went to the Norwegian school for the first time. we got a tour of the school. we thought it was a very nice and fun school. we received an introduction about our project work, after the introduction we went to work. everyone worked on their part of the sports research in groups. we had 2 hours of family time, we could enjoy delicious Norwegian food. In the afternoon we were able to prepare our food court. We, the Belgians, have chosen to make one of our national specialties, Belgian waffles. Belgium and the Basque Country gave a nice presentation about the cultural traditions and other customs of our country. The Norwegians have introduced us to a beautiful tradition, namely their fun folk dances. Here a boy dances with a girl in uniforms. Thanks to this day and evening we had the opportunity to discover new cultures in a fun way.

Tuesday 12/03

Today we got up early to go on a citytrip to Ålesund. We started our day with a visit to the university of NTNU. There we got an interesting guided tour around the campus. After lunch we went on a hike in the mountains, which gave us a breathtaking view over the city of Ålesund. After that we got some free time to explore the city. In the evening, our exchange students took us to a football game of the team from Sykkylven, which they won!

Wednesday 13/03

Hello, today we had another very nice day ahead of us. First we went cross country skiing and lots and lots of people fell. When we reached the top, we made campfires and roasted some sausages on them to make hot dogs. We also roasted some marshmallows. Unfortunately, it started raining so we headed back. This was scarier and even more people fell. In the evening, we met up at a restaurant, and we all enjoyed some nice burgers. Looking forward to what's planned for tomorrow.

Thursday 14/03

The day began with our project work for erasmus plus and we were finishing it up for the presentations the day after. After school we resten a bit until we had to go on the ferry to Ålesund because we were going to a trampoline park! We really enjoyed it and it was a really nice physical activity :) When our time at the trampoline park was over, we went to the Burger King and some other ones went to eat sushi! The day ended with some going home to relax and rest for the following productive day, while others. 

Friday 15/03 

Today, we finished the projectwork with a presentation about what we investigated. We already got finished with this at 11 am. So we had a lot of time left to spend with the family. Some of us tried a famous norwegian dish, it looked very strange but it taste rather good. In the evening, they organised a party for all the exchange students.

Week 11 2024 Visiting La Spezia Italy 

Saturday 09/03 

Today we got up early for a trip to La Spezia. After a long car ride and a flight of 1h30 we landed in Pisa. There we took the train to La Spezia and we were well received by the Italian students. Then the girls started eating an Italian gelato. Of course, a good Italian pizza cannot be missed at dinner. Finally, to end the evening, we went out in the center of La Spezia. We went to Piazetta del Bastione. This is a place where the local youth gather at night to hang out and drink something.

Sunday 10/03

We rose early for a day trip to Florence, hopping on the train at 7 a.m. After a two-hour journey, we arrived at Santa Maria Novella station. Our itinerary included must-see sights like the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and Giotto's Campanile in Piazza del Duomo, followed by statues like Michelangelo's David at Piazza della Signoria. We strolled across Ponte Vecchio, took in the beauty of the Arno River, and then enjoyed a hearty Italian meal at a cozy restaurant in the market square. The food was amazing. It started raining so we went in the shops. After a few hours we had a drink.

After some more shopping, we headed back, weary but content, for a family evening and an early night's rest before our next adventure.

Monday 11/03

Today was a busy day at school! First, we arrived at the school and listened to presentations from students from Italy and Spain. We were all ears as they shared insights about their cultures and experiences. After that, it was our turn to shine as we delivered our own presentation. It felt empowering to share our knowledge with others. Following the presentations, we were given a tour of the school, which was quite enlightening. We got to explore different classrooms, facilities, and learn about the school's history. It was fascinating to see how education is approached in a different country. Then, it was time for lunch, and we treated ourselves to some delicious pizza at a local restaurant. The flavors were exquisite, and it was a perfect break from the busy day.

After lunch, we headed to the city of La Spezia for some sightseeing. We wandered through the streets, admiring the architecture and soaking in the vibrant atmosphere. We even had some time for shopping.As the evening approached, we found ourselves at a charming bar by the harbor. The view was breathtaking, and the ambiance was just what we needed to unwind after a long day of activities. We chatted, laughed, and enjoyed each other's company as we watched the sun set over the water.

It was a fantastic day filled with new experiences and unforgettable moments!

Tuesday 12/03

Today in the morning, we continued working on our project work on natural parks again. Afterwards, we had a Conference with CNR La Spezia, Prof.ssa Silvia Merlino. In the afternoon, we then aired together at the port and enjoyed the sunshine. For the afternoon, they then planned activities along the Marinella beaches with CNR: coastal erosion with drones.

Wednesday 13/03

The night is near and my thoughts go to you. I think of you as the hermit, withdrawn from the hustle of this world, its misleading fame, concentrating on a daily task, which involves precise labour and a daily aim. I think of you, Fra Michele, in your Alps, tucked away, by choice and taste, Hyeronimus in his mountainous cave, counting the hours, under an inhospitable and yet comforting rock.

You are right again. Italy sweeps you off your feet and questions any notion you might have carefully built, of order, purpose and proportion. Italy is, in many ways, the metaphor of the passion process. You are settled, you are confident, you have it all. You are strong and rooted, with no particular need, a clear view of what's to come. And it happens, unforeseen, immense and uncontrollable! You don't understand what is happening, you take it in, it's unsettling, ominous and too powerful. But it's inviting, attractive. It is witchery and trickery. Divine and sublime. Awful at heart. It aches and pleases.

We took a train in LaSpezia. With a few other hundreds of tourists, hungry for the mythical Cinque Terre, some promised land, only accessible via modern ways. Groups gathered around their guides on the too narrow platform. Our guide, some kind of modern monk, leading his flock through the dangers of railways. A short, bulky, middle-aged woman with very red hair, summoning a herd of French people, getting on and off the train, at command.

The train speeds up, goes through a tunnel. Caro shouts with amazement. Between two tunnels, the sea explodes with blues and whites in our door window, and is gone again. Four girls with their mobile phones glued to the pane, ready to record the beauty of the world! Such candour and curiosity! Isn't it beautiful to witness how people still can wow at the vision of the simple, blue sea!

In Manarola, to il mare (which is masculine, dixit Michela; il mare è bellissimo), to rocks and waves and back again, struck by the magnificence of the coloured houses, stacked above the water, facing the sun with defiance! Gathering up together as in conspiracy. Posing, vainly.

Vernazza, streets of lemons and gelato! Of smiling, dancing girls, eating ice cream at noon, in contended postures!

Monterosso, the red devil's den, mocking you. You arrive on a pretty mall and stroll about, unguarded. But the path goes up and takes you to the real mount. You are shipwrecked in a walled village. There is no escape to the sea, no escape to the rocks behind. More eating, an octopus finished its journey on your plate. More ice cream, because you must. Un orzo con latte, per favore. I am exploring, forgive me.

And as the sun menaces to disappear behind the giant's hill, a tsunami of tensions surges from nowhere. The Belgians do not understand the Italians. Plans were made and disrupted. New plans are being made and being rearranged. Groups unmingle.

And me, on a bench, in the sun, basking in my idleness, enjoying doing nothing but being here and now, with no plan, no expectation, but the will to seize, grasp, store the sea, the sun, the light. Please, do not go away too quickly! Let me finish my sentence! My phrasing of the moment!

It takes old age, pleasures and pains, to understand the necessity of stopping to expect. So that when it comes, it can question your balance and let you fall with confidence!

Fra Michele! What's that smile on your face? Can you hear my voice? I am close, I am closer. I whisper Ligurian sceneries in your ear.

The sky must be so full of stars above the colder sea at night. And we smile accordingly, imagining them above 5 proud villages.

Yours, pentagonally*****

Thursday 14/03

Today we started the day by finishing our project work. Our project work is a presentation about natural parks, this is the theme of the week. After all the hard work we got some free time and decided to go to the shopping center 'La Terrazza' with everyone. It was very cozy here and we could eat something outside on the terrace in the sun. After this excursion we were expected back at school to take the bus to 'Portovenere'. After the bus ride with beautiful views we arrived in the town. The first thing we did was take a walk to the top of the town, the view here was so spectacular! You could see the beautiful blue sea and mountains for miles. After this everyone was free and we went to the town, where you could walk through the cozy streets. Then we decided to go to a terrace with a beautiful view of the sea. We ended the day with a delicious meal in a cozy restaurant.

Friday 15/03

Today was our last full day in La Spezia. We started the day with presenting our project work to each other. After we all presented it, the school had a surprise for us. They led us down the stairs to a classroom where the school band was waiting for us. They played a few songs and amazed us with their musical and vocal talents.

After this performance, we had to take the bus to a  nearby city, called Lerici. It's a beautiful place, but the weather wasn't working in our favor. There were a lot of clouds but we were lucky it at least didn't rain. When we arrived in Lerici, we visited a castle that was build to protect the city almost 1000 years ago. After this visit, we got some free time to search a nice place to eat and to discover the city. We ended up eating pasta and we walked a little around.

Before we knew it, our time in Lerici had ended and the bus was already waiting for us when we came back.

It was still pretty early, but we were all tired so we went home to spend some family time with the family of our exchange student.

Week 10 2024 Visiting Vaasa Finland 

Sunday 03/03 

Arrival in Finland:

After a long day of travel we arrived at our host family. When we arrived at the airport in Vaasa, the excitement was high to meet for the first time. We were welcomed with open arms and are curious to see how the rest of the week will go....

Monday 04/03 

Today we started the day with a tour of the Finnish school, after which we also played some games to get to know the Swedish language. In the afternoon we discovered the city of Vaasa where we saw beautiful buildings and monuments and were even allowed to walk on the ice  . We end the day with a social evening in the sports hall!

Tuesday 05/03 

We started the day with a short walk to the town hall, where we listened to a guest speaker talk about the city of Vaasa. After this, it was already time for our lunch and today's menu included fish soup, a typical Finnish dish. In the afternoon we attended an art class, here we got to paint and get really creative. After our short school day, sledding and cross-country skiing were on the programme in the evening. Everyone had a great time sledding off the hill. Then it was time to grill sausages and enjoy the fire. We ended the day with cross-country skiing, which should definitely not be underestimated! 

Wednesday 06/03

We started the day with a workshop on identity. By listening to a lecture and playing some games we learned the impact of identity on our society and life. Then is was time for the lunch of the day: meatballs and potatoes. After a busy morning we got to relax and try yoga and mindfullness. Together with our exchange students we did all kinds of exercices that can help you deal with stress. We ended the day with a family evening: going to the cinema…

Thursday 07/03

Today we started with a beautiful presentation about the aurora borealis (the northern lights). After this we got some explanation about the land uprising in this region and how every year the land rises about 8 milliliters. In the afternoon we went to the natural heritage site were this was the most visible. While traveling to this site we crossed the longest bridge of Finland. We finished the day with ice-skating on natural ice and bowling.

Friday 08/03

Today we woke up early to attend a German lesson taught the Finnish way, so a lot of assignments. After the lessons we got our certificates which will be very handy later to get a job (I was told). After the delicious vöner lasagnette at school we went home and made a campfire where we roasted sausages with a beautiful view of the frozen sea. In the evening we had a farewell dinner with a nice piano performance from Renaud and a big buffet. We said goodbye to the school and then we went to the party where we only stayed until 2am because everyone was gone, but it was a very fun evening. 

Week 5  2024 Visiting Valletta Malta 

Sunday 28/01

Hello everyone, we got to get up very very early to be on time for the plane to 🥳Malta🥳!!! When we arrived, everyone was waiting for us and we went to an asian restaurant together. After that, everyone got to their home for 7 days and started unpacking. The first day was awesome.

Monday 29/01

Hello everyone, today we had a beautiful day and we did a lot of fun things. Some of us started the day early and some of us could sleep longer. When we arrived at school, we did a morning energizer were we got to know eachother much better. After that our exchange students gave us a tour around the school. Then we had a small coffee break and a workshop. The workshop was about "bouncing back" and "resilience". In the afternoon we visited Valletta, which is the capital of Malta. After this long day, we went home with our exchange students and went to sleep. Ready for the new day!! See u tomorrow!!

Tuesday 30/01

Hello everyone, today we had a beautiful day and we did a lot of fun things. Some of us started the day early and some of us could sleep longer. When we arrived at school, we did a morning energizer where we got to know each other much better. After that, our exchange students gave us a tour around the school. Then we had a small coffee break and a workshop. The workshop was about "bouncing back" and "resilience". In the afternoon we visited Valletta, which is the capital of Malta. After this long day, we went home with our exchange students and went to sleep. Ready for another day!!

Thursday 01/02

Today, Thursday, February 1, we started our day with another lively energiser. We ended the morning with a workshop by our favourite teacher Roberto. In the afternoon, we were free and unanimously decided to visit the local shopping centre. In the evening, a game night was organised by the teachers and their children. This was the highlight of the day.

Week 5 january 2024 Hosting : Sykkylven Norway, Pamplona Basque Country and Tartu Estland. 

48 students enjoyed a splendid week. The students got to know each other's habits in many different areas. We focused on culture, eating habits and, above all, leisure experience and activity levels. We prepared local dishes, visited both Ghent and Brussels. We learned how important physical activity is to stay healthy. We exercised together and developed a physical test that will be administered in different European schools to find out which lifestyle habits could influence the activity level. To conclude, we visited the European Parliament. We learned how the future of Europe will depend on the extent to which we can work together in the general interest to tackle global problems. 

Tartu, Estonia, Friday 17th of November 2023

Tartu is home to an impressive botanical garden which stores a thousand different plants, exotic and local. A guide showed us around in the beautiful and lush indoor jungle. He knew quite a lot of facts about all sorts of different plants.

Today the students had to present their presentation on sustainability in Estonian schools. Both groups gave a lot of input on the sustainability in Estonia and Belgium. The made a very clear comparison between both schools. Each group came up with some good ideas to improve the sustainability at the school.

Example 1: instead of using paper towel to dry your hands, the school could invest in an automatic towel dispenser. The initial costs will be higher, but in the long run the school will pay less.

Example 2: instead of using paper to print the final project of the students, they could hand it in online. This way, they will have to use less paper.

The students have put in a lot of work to finalise the presentation. The results were clear and ready to be presented to the school’s board members.

The Ahhaa science center is one of the many musea in Tartu. It mainly focuses on technology and engineering. Visitors can do different experiments. An interactive experience.

Tartu, Estonia, Thursday 16th of November 2023

In the morning we visited the Elistvere Animal Park. A small zoo 30 minutes from Tartu. This animal park is home to some endemic animals from Estonia such as moose, bear, wolf, fox,…

In the afternoon we had a visit at the Ice Age centre not to far from Tartu. The small museum had a pretty impressive collection of different ice age creatures such as a life-sized mammoth, prehistoric lion and huge elk. The exhibitions was quite extensive. It showed what Estonia was like during the different ice ages and how it influenced the Estonian landscape and culture. Definitely worth a visit.

Tartu, Estonia, Wednesday 15th of November 2023

Aare invited us to attend one of his social study – classes. He prepared an assignment for both the Estonian students and the Belgian students. Each Belgian students had to join a team of Estonian students. The main topic of this assignment was ‘which country is more democratic?’. The students were given a couple of questions about democracy. They had to look up the information on both the Belgian and Estonian democratic system. At the end of the class, they had to present their findings. Conclusion: both countries still have a high level of democracy.

The focus for today’s project was: ‘sustainability on school level’. The students had to figure out how sustainable the school is. Each group had to focus on two topics. The two topics were: paper waste and food waste

To receive the necessary information they had to consult staff members of the school. That was a good exercise for both the Belgian & the Estonian pupils in terms of selecting the information they got.For each topic, the pupils had to come up with an original solution which will be presented to the school board.

In the afternoon we arranged to go the Estonian National Museum in Tartu. This museum is rather new and has an impressive design. It is located just outside Tartu. It took us about 30 minutes to reach it on foot. We were accompanied by a teacher of the school, Ave Külter (mathematics teacher).

A guide guided us around the extraordinary museum. The museum had different parts and topics. We mainly focused on the Estonian culture exposition.

Every year the school organises an evening of national cafes. Each class choses to represent a country. They have to dress up and prepare some typical food from that country. These dishes are being sold for money. That money will go to a fund to treat cancer. Twelve different countries were represented. Every single group was dressed up and served some good food. In the atrium some Estonian students gave a little musical performance.

Tartu, Estonia, Tuesday 14th of November 2023

To make a clear link to the topic of the project work, Aare decided to show us a documentary about wildlife and nature in Estonia. Some insights on the film:

·   Estonia still has quite a lot of untouched nature which forms a good habitat for wildlife.

·   Estonia is home to some larger mammals such as bears and moose.

·   Estonian nature is heavily protected.

·   Estonian people still have a stronger connection to nature

When pupils were working on the project, the accompanying teacher had a chance to do a class visits. A short summary of this visit:

·   The level of English of both the pupils and teacher is very high.

·   The pupils were preparing for the CEFR – C1 level test. This class had a ‘teach-to-test’-approach. The teacher gave the pupils some possible assignments linked to this test.

·   Pupils get quite a lot of freedom: the use of smartphones is allowed, they can go to the restroom without asking,…

·   Students are rather focused on studies. While some students were doing an application interview, the others were doing exercises.

·   The classroom has a rich atmosphere ( English flags hanging from the ceiling, posters on walls)

·   Discussion conversation: a good way to test pupil’s ability to cope with situations they’re not prepared for.

·   Using an essay from other pupil (other class) to go over grammatical/vocabulary related errors.

·   Very similar approach as teaching in Belgium. A combination of old-school (using the white board a lot more though, and more lecturing – older pupils though) & new-school teaching approaches (assignments on google systems).

·   One class takes 75 minutes – this allows the pupils to focus more on this subject.

After a good amount of brain work it was time for some movement. The school has an indoor pétanque pitch. The pupils had the chance to compete each other in a friendly game.

The pupils continued to work on their project. The focus for today: sustainability on regional level. The students had analyse the situation in Tartu. How sustainable is Tartu is the main question the students had to answer.

The city tour was given by Aare, the Erasmus coordinator and history teacher. We started in front of the school and slowly made our way to the city centre of Tartu. Along the way we saw some interesting buildings. Some of them date back to a couple of centuries ago. Others were built during Soviet times. We passed a local church (interesting fact: a lot of Estonian people are not religious. That’s why there are not a lot of churches around), the University of Tartu, the city hall and some other historical buildings.

Aare knew a lot of interesting facts about the buildings we passed. Since Tartu is not a big place, the tour did not take a long time.

The Belgium students had to prepare a presentation about Belgium. The four students split it up into four different themes:

·   Belgian history presented by Victor Meersseman

·   Belgian politics presented by Jasper Ducatteeuw

·   Belgian school system presented by Mauro Iacopucci

·   Belgian pop culture presented by Robbert Pauwels

The presentation was attended by a couple of teachers and about 15 other Estonian students. After the presentation there was some time to ask questions. Most of the questions were about the complex Belgian political system 

Tartu, Estonia, Monday 13th of November 2023

At 09:30 AM everyone was expected to be at the Hugo Treffner Gymnasium in the city centre of Tartu. The first activity of the day was a tour of school. One of the students was given the assignment to give us a tour of the school followed by some ‘get to know each other’ type of games.

The school consists of several buildings that are connected to each other. The school has been there for many decades and has seen a lot of transformations over the last few years. For example, a couple of years ago, there was a big fire which nearly destroyed the attic of the school. However, one teacher managed to keep the fire from spreading.

 The school has got many different classrooms but also some rather interesting places. In the left wing of the school there is a place where students can create art. This place is normally not used by any teachers, but mainly by students who want to express themselves through art. The school also has its own gym which is often used to organise sports games.

Mauro

·       A very complex building.

·       Strange that they do not have a playground.

Victor

·       Looks like a school.

·       I think it is nice that students can express themselves by painting on certain parts of the walls.

Jasper

·   I find it interesting that pupils can leave the classroom without asking.

Robbert

·   It looks rather old. But then again, they do have some modern infrastructure.

One of the main goals for this exchange program was to set up a project on sustainability. The main topic for the project was ‘sustainability in Estonian and Belgian schools & how to improve it’. Aare had split up the project into different steps:

▶       Sustainability on national level (country)

▶       Sustainability on reginal level (Tartu & Waregem)

▶       Sustainability on school level

Today, the students focused on analysing the sustainability on national level.

The four local students then gave a presentation about Estonia. They gave us some more insights on population and folklore. One thing that surprised the Belgian was the Estonian traditions. Estonians are very proud of their culture and try to maintain this as much as they can. For example: every five years they have a big folk festival which most Estonians attend. The main attraction of this festival is the folk dancing and the folk songs which are sung by a choir of thousands of Estonians.

After the presentation it was to stretch our legs and discover the city. The local students prepared a search and find game. The Belgian students were split up in to groups and went on their way to discover Tartu.

Istanbul, Turkey - Saturday 21th of October

Hello!

Today was the last day of the exchange.

We got up later than usual, because we didn’t have to go to school, obviously.

Most of us had been very tired untill now because of the long exhausting week so all of us were over the moon because we could sleep for a long time. In the morning or for most at noon we ate a loooong brunch with our host families. We certaintly can't go claiming to be underfed in Turkey, they just keep on giving us food. That’s why we all got our Turkish belly. In the afternoon some of us met up, other went to a barber and some went to picknick. In the evening though we met up to eat and everyone came together after to go watch a long anticipated footballmatch: 'Beşiktaş against Galatasaray'. We supported the first club. The outcome of the match was the winning of the red team, named Galatasaray.

After we all went home quickly, packed our remaining stuff into our bags and had a short but good rest to prepare for the flight tomorrow. It was an amazing week!

Viek & Milo

Istanbul, Turkey - Friday 20th of October

Herkese merhaba!

This morning we went to the Maçka park where we were given a calming yoga class by one of the exchange students. We learned different positions and came to inner peace.

Back at school, the boys played basketball while the girls chatted a bit. At noon, we ate a chicken sandwich. That tasted great!

Then we were introduced to traditional Turkish art called Ebru. That is a kind of artwork in water and then copied on paper. We got the chance to make our own artwork and they were all so beautiful!

Of course, the boys felt like playing sports again so we played a game of football against the best players in the school. We were completely trashed by the way.

When school was out, all the students sang the Turkish national anthem, which they do every Monday and Friday. Then we went to the staff room to eat (shoutout to the meatballs of Sultanahmet).

We discussed the exchange with the teachers and the headmaster. Finally, we received an official certificate of the exchange.

Eyvallah for following our amazing exchange journey.

Maxim & Brecht

Istanbul, Turkey - Thursday 19th of October

Selam!

Just like every other day we met at school and took the tram towards an amazing art museum. On our way we were accompanied by someone who played ‘Bella Ciao’ on the accordeon and we all loved the vibe.

The art museum was really big and had some pretty cool art works. There was a room that you could enter by walking through feathers, a room full of mirrors and lots of modern paintings.

It’s really worth the visit!

Afterwards we all went to get lunch together in a fancy restaurant by the water and the view was mesmerizing! Just like everyday, we ate to much of this amazing Turkish food, but it is worth it!

Normally we would visit the galata tower, but we couldn’t go unfortunately because of some demonstrations. So we just went to the mall together where we shopped and played some games in the arcade. We also visited a park with a playground made for adults, so we could let out inner child free :))

It was another unforgetable day with beautiful weather

Istanbul, Turkey - Wednesday 18th of October

Merhaba!

Today we started with a trip to Balat. And there we visited a church (Venerable patriarchial church of Saint George) and went sightseeing. We stopped at a souvenir shop and looked at the most beautiful houses (Haliç Art houses) and the staircase. We had diner in a fancy restaurant with sight on the city. Then we visited the Zeyrek çinili Bath. It look very heavenly and beautiful. Then we went to a homeparty that was organised by our exchange students and the mom baked some delicious traditional foods.

Istanbul, Turkey - Tuesday 17th of October

Today we had a really busy day… first we followed a class and after that we left to visit some monuments. We needed to take the metro and It was really crowded so we took a long time to get to the monuments. First we visited basilica cisterns which was really pretty. After that we went to a museum and had lunch in a lovely place. Before or school day ended we visited the two most known  mosques of Istanbul, they were really impressive. After the visits we had free time and we went bowling and ate dinner… we had a great but exhausting day.

Noor & Alix

Instanbul, Turkey - Monday 16th of October

Hi everyone, the first day in Turkey is almost over. This morning the Turkish students presented the history of their school, the sights in Istanbul we will visit in the coming days and a presentation around the week's theme: mental health and well-being. In the afternoon, we cheered along at the final of the class competition in football. Turkish students also taught us their traditional dances, and we taught them ours too. Turkey is famous for its talent in volleyball, so of course we had to try this sport ourselves. In the evening, we went to a restaurant with the whole exchange group to taste the local delicacies. One of the delicacies we got to taste today is ayran, a drink consisting of yoghurt, water and salt.

Sarah & Thory