The last Teaching Learning Activity as a part of the project Art Nouveau – Art Renouveau, Erasmus +, will take place from 2nd – 8th April 2017 and is organized by one of the partner schools Mallinckrodt Gymnasium in Dortmund, Germany. The participants will first get to know the characteristics of Art Nouveau movement in the region, in particular in Dortmund, and then participate in various artistic workshops, thus learning the techniques of the period and adding a personal modern touch to the artefacts. Students and teachers from Bulgaria, France, Germany, Rumania, Scotland and Slovenia are to join in. The mentor of the project at St. Stanislav’s Institution is Alenka Battelino, teacher of English.
Arrival day, Sunday, 2nd April 2017
We came to Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport at 5.30 in the morning and checked in our luggage. Our plane took off at 7.05 and we arrived at the Frankfurt Airport 10 minutes ahead of schedule. We collected our luggage and went to McDonald’s to have breakfast. Then, after a rather lengthy halt, we left the airport at 1.09 pm. We drove through German countryside and arrived at the Dortmund Central Railway Station at 15.30 where our host families were already waiting for us. In the evening, they accommodated us in a hospitable way. We went to bed quite early because we were tired of the long journey. /Martin, year 2/
Day One, Monday, 3rd April 2017
As usual, the first day was dedicated to getting to know each other, welcoming speeches and drawing up programme plans. It happened to be a farewell day for the graduate students of Mallinckrodt Gymnasium. To celebrate the occasion the school was turned into a circus and the rest of the students bid good-bye to the graduates in amusing and original ways.
It was an early start, though. Accompanied by our host students the participants attended the opening ceremony including the school orchestra, presentations about Dortmund and Germany as well as the principal’s speech. A warm welcome was followed by a coffee break after which the students showed us around their school and at noon we had lunch. After that, we were divided into several mixed groups and students showed us around the city. In the late afternoon we gathered by the Phoenix Lake where we took some time off and talked about our first day in Germany.
Day Two, Tuesday, 4th April 2017
6:00 The first thing that I think about, when I hear the sound of my alarm in the morning, is how much I want to go back to sleep. The second thing is that I`m in Dortmund and it`s the second day of my exchange already. I guess time really does fly when you`re having as much fun as we are.
I manage to get ready and greet the Bulgarian girl that´s staying with the same family as me, and soon we are all on the bus to school, and our host, Mareike, is showing us all the famous buildings we can see from the window.
8:00 Although I love the friends I have made so far on this exchange and my host, it`s lovely to hear the sound of my mother tongue – Slovene again. I quickly join in the group to chat about our host families and people from other schools. That is until a lady announces that we are supposed to leave for workshops very soon. I follow the instructions and join my group in light painting, where me and my Slovene partner Gabrijela have a lot of fun while creating a host of images with different lights and patterns.
11:00 A short break and much needed coffee with croissants after dancing around the school basement with different colourful lights. Chatting with friends while watching the German seniors dressed up as different historical personalities walking around school. After the second part of our workshops, we meet in the forum where we have a singing lesson and although it`s hard, we do try our best at singing Ode to Joy in German. After that, we gather in Mensa (the school cafeteria), where we enjoy our lunch and free time.
13:00 Soon we gather on two different buses, headed to Zeche Zollern, a colliery with many Art Nouveau elements. After a very interesting tour (that our guide managed to do in only an hour), we climb to the top of the building where we get an amazing view of the whole city lying in front of us. After a few necessary group photos, we are already heading home.
16:00 The weather is amazing and the company is even better, so the day is perfect for a trip to the city park. And that is exactly what we do – we buy some food, find some comfortable seats by the lake and enjoy the sunshine. It`s really amazing how people from 5 different countries can have so much in common when they start talking and having fun.
22:00 After a long day, I`m grateful for a warm bed that awaits me in my room and an amazing host family that makes sure I`m as comfortable and happy as I can be. /Jerneja, year 2/