Postcard Exchange: Cards from the Netherlands Arrive to Rann Elementary (Texas, USA)

Students from Rann Elementary in Decatur (TX, the USA), coordinated by their teacher Giselle Gutiérrez, have exchanged postcards with students from Orium Lyceum in Breda (the Netherlands), coordinated by their teacher Anna Krasko. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation, both to students and teachers, for their participation in the project and their enthusiasm. In fact, Giselle has been awfully kind and has sent me a warm e-mail of gratitude which I would like to include here since it highlights the benefits of this exchange for the students and the school, both on a personal and academic level.

Dear Diana,

I just wanted to update you on our postcard exchange. Anna Krasko from the Netherlands sent my students postcards from her students. My kids were so excited! We featured our project on our bulletin board and my school was very excited to follow this journey. My principal and many of our teachers want to take part in this project as well.

You would not believe how many kids, parents, and teachers I find outside of our classroom reading the postcards from the students in the Netherlands. This project has created an incredible conversation as kids become aware that there are other people around the world who are communicating with us.

A teacher and my principal have even asked me how they could get a pen pal for their granddaughters. I told them that I didn't know if you could get a classroom to adopt just one child and have her be a part of this amazing project.

My fellow teachers want to know if you will continue this project next year. I certainly hope so. It has been an amazing experience for my students. We just sent our postcards back to the Netherlands and we hope we can get another exchange before the end of the school year.

I would love to do this again next year. I would like to suggest that we start this early in the school year in order to allow many exchanges throughout the year. We could have so many writing experiences. Imagine how much students would learn from one another as they exchange their ideas, hopes, dreams and questions if they had more time to write to one another.

You can't imagine my students' excitement when the package from the Netherlands arrived. I have never seen them embrace writing with such gusto as when they were choosing their pen pals. They begged me to give them time to write their new friends.

I have included some pictures of my students and the postcards we received from the Netherlands. I forgot to take a picture of our postcards. I was feeling really rushed because I wanted our cards to reach the Netherlands before the end of our school year. Anna has been wonderful and her students have been amazing as well. We can't wait to get our second postcards from them.

I have attached one of the postcards from the Netherlands. All the other postcards were just as wonderful.

Sincerely,

Giselle

P.S. I can't wait to visit your blog.

Óscar, Mario and Fernando

Stephanie, Grecia and Ashlee

Jasmine, Danielle and Kimberly

Abram and Giovany

Yuri, Evelyn and Maria 

Postcard from Femke

Again, MANY thanks to students and teachers for their participation!

Postcard Exchange: Cards from EOI Sección Ribeira Go to New Jersey

This was a week of outgoing mail for us... we have sent out cards to New Jersey, to Jazykova Skola in Bratislava, The Oxford School in Dubai, and IES César Manrique in Lanzarote.

Postcard Exchange: Cards from Dubai Arrive to EOI Sección Ribeira

One other school participating in our project is The Oxford School in the United Arab Emirates, we received a lot of  cards showing the fascinating city of Dubai and even some handmade cards which were really artistic.

Students come from different countries, such as Sri Lanka and Pakistan

Different views of Dubai

Both students from IES Número 1, with the aid of their teacher, Vera, and students of our branch in Ribeira have replied, but because Bineesh, the teacher there, has so many students, I have forwarded the cards to Alexia, in Lanzarote, who will be distributing them among her students and replying to our friends.

Thank you, Bineesh, Vera, Alexia and students from the United Arab Emirates for participating in this project!

Postcard Exchange: Cards from Bratislava Arrive to EOI Sección Ribeira

El pasado mes de marzo, del 7-17, junto con otros tres compañeros de nuestra EOI Santiago (Ana Losada, Carla Dechant y Paul Herron), tuve la oportunidad de disfrutar de una movilidad Erasmus+ en la Jazyková škola en Bratislava. Mi valoración es muy positiva y recomiendo a los profesionales de la enseñanza a que se animen a solicitar y participar en este tipo de formación. Es una experiencia de aprendizaje profesional significativa y enriquecedora que va más allá de la adquisición de conocimientos y habilidades, ya que fomenta el diálogo, el análisis y la reflexión y además tiene la importante ventaja de ampliar la red profesional de contactos y fomentar la colaboración en proyectos futuros.

Estoy enormemente agradecida a la Jazyková škola por la calurosa acogida, el programa de actividades cuidadosamente planeado y la atención personalizada. Gracias a Sida Horváthová, la directora, y también a Stojka Dubenova, nuestra inigualable anfitriona.

Y por supuesto muchísimas gracias a los/as profesores/as y alumnos/as del Departamento de español, a quien me gustaría dedicar con cariño esta entrada.

Sección de la Jazyková škola en Vazovova, 14

Algunos profes del departamento de español: Katarina, Stefan y Daniel con Paul y Ana, profes en nuestra EOI. Ana es también administradora del blog de Postcrossing en Sar

Pedro, también profe de español

Vicky, profe de español e inglés con Carla, profe de inglés en EOI Santiago, y administradora del blog de Postcrossing en Vite

Parte de nuestro programa de actividades incluía observaciones de las clases del departamento de español. Los cuatro visitamos varias clases de algunos de estos profesores que habéis visto en las fotos. En mi caso, pude asistir a los grupos de Katarina, Stefan y Peter y los profesores nos permitieron participar en las clases activamente presentando diferentes aspectos de la cultura gallega: geografía y paisaje, gastronomía, música y baile; en dos grupos incluso con talleres prácticos de "muiñeira". Me asombró el alto nivel de los alumnos, no solo a nivel lingüístico, sino también de conocimientos de nuestra zona y cultura. Me sentí muy cómoda y a gusto y por eso aprovecho la oportunidad para darles gracias de corazón por su buena disposición y motivación a participar en las actividades.

Además, se me dio la oportunidad de presentar nuestro proyecto "Palabras da man ao corazón" y las diferentes actividades que estamos llevando a cabo y tanto profesorado como alumnado se mostraron muy abiertos a participar. En la clase de C1, como pudimos asistir dos días, los alumnos se encargaron de escribir unas postales para nuestro alumnado en Ribeira, que podéis ver a continuación.

Clase C1 de español: Ana (EOI Santiago-Sar), Katarina (la profe), Darina, Zusana, Diana y Vladimir

Postales con diferentes vistas de Bratislava

Seguro que emocionarán a nuestros alumnos y motivarán una respuesta en breves.

¡Muchas gracias por vuestra generosidad!

Postcard Exchange: Cards from South Carolina Arrive to CEIP Plurilingüe de Frións

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting CEIP Plurilingüe de Frións and have a meeting with its principal Luís Teira. Luís has been a postcrosser since December 2014 and was also one of the promoters of a postcard project including QR codes in collaboration with CEIP Heroínas de Sálvora for which they were awarded the second prize of Innovación Lingüística in 2015.

Luís had very kindly offered part of his private postcard collection to be part of the exhibition we are preparing for our First Galician Postcrossing Meetup on April 16th 2016. On top of that, he is helping me enormously with many other different aspects of the organization, such as the treasure hunt, the choice of a commemorative postcard and other practical aspects. I can't thank him enough for this invaluable help and ideas which I am sure will contribute to the success of the event.

And to conclude, as we had previously posted, both CEIP Heroínas de Sálvora and CEIP Plurilingüe de Frións are exchanging cards with a school in South Carolina, and they had received the cards so I had a chance to take a look at them. Here's a photo for you to take a peek.

Thank you, Luís for your invaluable help, and Elena and students for these beautiful cards!

Postcard Exchange: Cards from South Carolina Arrive to CEIP Heroínas de Sálvora!

Teresa Hernández, teacher and secretary at CEIP Heroínas de Sálvora has expressed her students' delight at receiving the beautiful, varied cards arriving from Elena Castillo and her students from Sullivan's Island, South Carolina.

The Sullivan's Island lighthouse or Charleston Light (1862)

If we research a little bit about Sullivan's Island we see that it was known as O'Sullivan's Island, named for Captain Florence O'Sullivan, who was stationed there as a lighthouse keeper in the late 17th century.  Of course, I heard lighthouse and my eyes lit up, for I am a lover of these beacons by the sea. The Sullivan's Island Lighthouse, commonly known as "Charleston Light" holds a unique title in Caroline Lighthouse lore as one of the most modern lighthouses in the country, due to its unique triangular and slim structure which is broken up into two black and white color blocks. It is hard to miss and a distinctive local landmark that hovers over the beach scene.

Below you can see the package they received in CEIP Heroínas de Sálvora and the beautiful, varied cards of Charleston and its surroundings.

Thank you, Elena, Teresa and all your students for the participation this exchange!