On April 14th, 15th and 16th 2010 the IES Núm.1 Xàbia hosted the Comenius Healthy Living Mid-Project Meeting. This event was attended by the seventy teachers and students coming from our eight Comenius partner schools from Scotland, United Kingdom, Norway, Latvia and the Netherlands, as well as students and teachers from our school.
All participants were picked up at their hotels at 19:00h. When they arrived at our school, they were given some materials regarding their visit: a commemorative t-shirt, a booklet with the agenda and activities and an identification badge. While we waited for the three last schools to arrive (Kirkhill Primary School, AOC Friesland and SSG De Rede), a group of teachers and students showed the school to the visitors.
Afterwards, they were served a welcome dinner at the school canteen, preceded by a band concert of traditional music and a speech by the Headmaster, Vicent Chorro.
On Thursday 15th at 9:00 in the morning, we all gathered at the Avenida Augusta, next to our school, where we planted a tree and a stone monolith, both donated by the Town Hall of Xàbia, in commemoration of the project. This event was attended by Filo Giner, Xàbia’s Head of Education who came in representation of the town’s Council, the Headmaster of the IES Núm.1, teachers and students of our school, representatives of the Department of Social Services and all of the visitors from the Comenius Project. In his speech, Vicent Chorro (Headmaster), compared the tree to the work we have started with the project and hoped our visitors would come again in the future to see it grow.
The tree was -despite its small size- a mature oak (Quercus rotundifolia). The monolith was made in “tosca” stone, a sedimentary type of stone typical in Xàbia, and the commemorative inscription was written on ceramic tiles made in the old traditional Valencian style.
After planting the tree, the students attended some activities and workshops at our school, while the teachers attended a meeting to discuss project issues.
The youngest students (Kirkhill, Gosen and Friesland) learnt how to make soap in a workshop organized by the Department of Biology. The eldest students (Methwold, De Rede, Seja and Tume) attended a workshop called “The Smoking Bottle”, an experiment organized by the Department of Physics and Chemistry which aims to prevent young people from smoking by showing them the terrible effects of just one cigarette. Finally, students in mixed groups prepared some posters showing the healthiest foods and activities in their areas, helped and coordinated by the Department of Art.
Then, the Department of Dietetics offered a conference about the Mediterranean diet, relating it to a healthy diet. After that, we prepared -and had- sandwiches made with healthy local products.
In the meantime we received the first news about the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjalla and the ash cloud that was forcing some airports in Northern Europe to close.
In the afternoon, the group was taken to the beach for some sports and activities in the sun while some teachers continued and finished their meeting. Finally, after all the activities, the groups walked back to their hotels in the Port Area to relax and get ready to meet again for dinner at the Cantina del Port, a typical sailors’ restaurant, where they could taste Arròs a banda, a typical rice dish cooked in fish stock, which does not include fish pieces. Others preferred to have vegetarian paella, another typical dish cooked with rice and vegetables. They also had a taste of All-i-oli, our most typical mayonnaise-like sauce, made with garlic and olive oil (and sometimes egg).
In the morning of Friday 16th the media announced that most of the air space in Europe would remain closed due to the ash cloud, which complicated the return trip of our visitors and would affect the final stages of their visit.
While some teachers tried to make new arrangements for their return home, most of the group was taken to a sightseeing tour around the main viewpoints of Xàbia, guided by teachers of the IES Núm.1 and accompanied by voluntary students. Two coaches picked up teachers and students and took them to the viewpoint of Cala d’Ambolo, from which you can see the Island of Ambolo (also known as Illa del Descobridor, Discoverer’s Island), named after one of the sailors who was in Christopher Columbus’s crew in his first voyage to America. From this point, the group could see the surveillance tower of Ambolo and Granadella Cove.
The next stop was at Cap de la Nau (the Cape of the Ship), from which we could see the Pesqueres de Cingle, only accessible via ropes and ladders, which were the only way for the many fishermen who did not own a boat to earn a living.
The group was then taken to the viewpoint of Cap Negre, which offers one of the most amazing views of Xàbia and the Island of Portitxol. The group walked through the Camí de Lambert (Path of Lambert) passing by Cap Prim and Cap Sant Martí and several creeks up to La Caleta, where the coaches picked up the group and took it back to school for lunch.
At the school canteen, the pupils had pizzas and the teachers had a similar item (called Coca), typical of our area, cooked with traditional ingredients (onion, tuna, anchovies, peas, spinach, tomato, red pepper, etc.). They also had fresh organic orange juice, fruit and ice-cream.
After some free time to rest, the group was taken to the Old Town in Xàbia, which dates back to the Medieval Ages. In two smaller groups, they were taken for a tour (in English), organized by Xàbia’s Council. They visited the fortified church of Sant Bertomeu, a unique piece of Mediterranean Gothic architecture, which served as a shelter from pirate attacks; the medieval chapel of Santa Anna; the Soler Blasco Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology; and the Mediterranean streets of Xàbia.
At 20:00h the visitors of the Mid-Project meeting were received at the Town Hall by the Mayor, Eduardo Monfort, and the Head of Education, Filo Giner. There our Headmaster, Vicent Chorro, thanked the Council for their cooperation in the event. The mayor welcomed the visitors and praised the work done and encouraged us to continue with the project, hoping this would lead to more of these events. After his speech, he gave each school a coat of arms of the town of Xàbia. Finally, Lorraine Napier, Headmistress of Kirkhill Primary School and project coordinator, thanked the Mayor and the Council for their hospitality.
After the reception, a group of representatives of each partner school attended an official dinner -chaired by the Mayor and the Head of Education- at Restaurant La Perla. The dinner was a selection of traditional appetizers and two types of rice dishes: a typical paella (cooked with meat and vegetables) and Arròs Melòs de peix, a local speciality which contains a star ingredient: gamba roja (red prawn), a prized shellfish that can only be caught in the sea which separates the Valencian Community from the Balearic Islands and at a depth of over a thousand meters.
The rest of the group attended a farewell dinner at the school canteen with a barbecue, music and dance.
Thus the Mid-Project Meeting officially closed. Nevertheless, the airport situation had got steadily worse so we realized our visitors would have to stay in Xàbia for at least two more days. Hence, teachers met again on Saturday morning to try and solve the return transport problem. After a long day of negotiations, we decided to extend the program two days so that our visitors could get to know Xàbia a bit more while they waited for means to go back home.
On Sunday 18th, the morning was dedicated to the sea. An ambulance and lifeguard were arranged for the safety of the group, so that the students could swim in the sea at the Arenal Beach. In the afternoon, some teachers visited Denia, our neighbouring town, capital city of our county and one of the oldest in our area.
On the sunny and warm morning of Monday 19th, most of the schools (Tume, Seja, Sunde, Gosen and Kirkhill) walked up the Natural Park of Montgó to the Cabo de San Antonio (Cape of San Antonio), enjoying the views of the bay of Xàbia. This park and walk are also beautiful for the many species of plants that can be found, over six hundred. The park is also special for being one of the three last places where the indigenous flower Silene Ifacensis still grows.
After lunch at the picnic area of the Natural Park, the group visited the Molins, a group of old wind mills built in the 14th and 15th Centuries, which have been restored and preserved.
Finally, we walked down back to the Port and the hotels, where we said goodbye, as the majority were leaving the next morning.
The difficulties the volcano caused and our visitors’ long journeys home will probably become just an anecdote that will have made this visit yet a more unforgettable event. Work continues…
All participants were picked up at their hotels at 19:00h. When they arrived at our school, they were given some materials regarding their visit: a commemorative t-shirt, a booklet with the agenda and activities and an identification badge. While we waited for the three last schools to arrive (Kirkhill Primary School, AOC Friesland and SSG De Rede), a group of teachers and students showed the school to the visitors.
Afterwards, they were served a welcome dinner at the school canteen, preceded by a band concert of traditional music and a speech by the Headmaster, Vicent Chorro.
On Thursday 15th at 9:00 in the morning, we all gathered at the Avenida Augusta, next to our school, where we planted a tree and a stone monolith, both donated by the Town Hall of Xàbia, in commemoration of the project. This event was attended by Filo Giner, Xàbia’s Head of Education who came in representation of the town’s Council, the Headmaster of the IES Núm.1, teachers and students of our school, representatives of the Department of Social Services and all of the visitors from the Comenius Project. In his speech, Vicent Chorro (Headmaster), compared the tree to the work we have started with the project and hoped our visitors would come again in the future to see it grow.
The tree was -despite its small size- a mature oak (Quercus rotundifolia). The monolith was made in “tosca” stone, a sedimentary type of stone typical in Xàbia, and the commemorative inscription was written on ceramic tiles made in the old traditional Valencian style.
After planting the tree, the students attended some activities and workshops at our school, while the teachers attended a meeting to discuss project issues.
The youngest students (Kirkhill, Gosen and Friesland) learnt how to make soap in a workshop organized by the Department of Biology. The eldest students (Methwold, De Rede, Seja and Tume) attended a workshop called “The Smoking Bottle”, an experiment organized by the Department of Physics and Chemistry which aims to prevent young people from smoking by showing them the terrible effects of just one cigarette. Finally, students in mixed groups prepared some posters showing the healthiest foods and activities in their areas, helped and coordinated by the Department of Art.
Then, the Department of Dietetics offered a conference about the Mediterranean diet, relating it to a healthy diet. After that, we prepared -and had- sandwiches made with healthy local products.
In the meantime we received the first news about the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjalla and the ash cloud that was forcing some airports in Northern Europe to close.
In the afternoon, the group was taken to the beach for some sports and activities in the sun while some teachers continued and finished their meeting. Finally, after all the activities, the groups walked back to their hotels in the Port Area to relax and get ready to meet again for dinner at the Cantina del Port, a typical sailors’ restaurant, where they could taste Arròs a banda, a typical rice dish cooked in fish stock, which does not include fish pieces. Others preferred to have vegetarian paella, another typical dish cooked with rice and vegetables. They also had a taste of All-i-oli, our most typical mayonnaise-like sauce, made with garlic and olive oil (and sometimes egg).
In the morning of Friday 16th the media announced that most of the air space in Europe would remain closed due to the ash cloud, which complicated the return trip of our visitors and would affect the final stages of their visit.
While some teachers tried to make new arrangements for their return home, most of the group was taken to a sightseeing tour around the main viewpoints of Xàbia, guided by teachers of the IES Núm.1 and accompanied by voluntary students. Two coaches picked up teachers and students and took them to the viewpoint of Cala d’Ambolo, from which you can see the Island of Ambolo (also known as Illa del Descobridor, Discoverer’s Island), named after one of the sailors who was in Christopher Columbus’s crew in his first voyage to America. From this point, the group could see the surveillance tower of Ambolo and Granadella Cove.
The next stop was at Cap de la Nau (the Cape of the Ship), from which we could see the Pesqueres de Cingle, only accessible via ropes and ladders, which were the only way for the many fishermen who did not own a boat to earn a living.
The group was then taken to the viewpoint of Cap Negre, which offers one of the most amazing views of Xàbia and the Island of Portitxol. The group walked through the Camí de Lambert (Path of Lambert) passing by Cap Prim and Cap Sant Martí and several creeks up to La Caleta, where the coaches picked up the group and took it back to school for lunch.
At the school canteen, the pupils had pizzas and the teachers had a similar item (called Coca), typical of our area, cooked with traditional ingredients (onion, tuna, anchovies, peas, spinach, tomato, red pepper, etc.). They also had fresh organic orange juice, fruit and ice-cream.
After some free time to rest, the group was taken to the Old Town in Xàbia, which dates back to the Medieval Ages. In two smaller groups, they were taken for a tour (in English), organized by Xàbia’s Council. They visited the fortified church of Sant Bertomeu, a unique piece of Mediterranean Gothic architecture, which served as a shelter from pirate attacks; the medieval chapel of Santa Anna; the Soler Blasco Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology; and the Mediterranean streets of Xàbia.
At 20:00h the visitors of the Mid-Project meeting were received at the Town Hall by the Mayor, Eduardo Monfort, and the Head of Education, Filo Giner. There our Headmaster, Vicent Chorro, thanked the Council for their cooperation in the event. The mayor welcomed the visitors and praised the work done and encouraged us to continue with the project, hoping this would lead to more of these events. After his speech, he gave each school a coat of arms of the town of Xàbia. Finally, Lorraine Napier, Headmistress of Kirkhill Primary School and project coordinator, thanked the Mayor and the Council for their hospitality.
After the reception, a group of representatives of each partner school attended an official dinner -chaired by the Mayor and the Head of Education- at Restaurant La Perla. The dinner was a selection of traditional appetizers and two types of rice dishes: a typical paella (cooked with meat and vegetables) and Arròs Melòs de peix, a local speciality which contains a star ingredient: gamba roja (red prawn), a prized shellfish that can only be caught in the sea which separates the Valencian Community from the Balearic Islands and at a depth of over a thousand meters.
The rest of the group attended a farewell dinner at the school canteen with a barbecue, music and dance.
Thus the Mid-Project Meeting officially closed. Nevertheless, the airport situation had got steadily worse so we realized our visitors would have to stay in Xàbia for at least two more days. Hence, teachers met again on Saturday morning to try and solve the return transport problem. After a long day of negotiations, we decided to extend the program two days so that our visitors could get to know Xàbia a bit more while they waited for means to go back home.
On Sunday 18th, the morning was dedicated to the sea. An ambulance and lifeguard were arranged for the safety of the group, so that the students could swim in the sea at the Arenal Beach. In the afternoon, some teachers visited Denia, our neighbouring town, capital city of our county and one of the oldest in our area.
On the sunny and warm morning of Monday 19th, most of the schools (Tume, Seja, Sunde, Gosen and Kirkhill) walked up the Natural Park of Montgó to the Cabo de San Antonio (Cape of San Antonio), enjoying the views of the bay of Xàbia. This park and walk are also beautiful for the many species of plants that can be found, over six hundred. The park is also special for being one of the three last places where the indigenous flower Silene Ifacensis still grows.
After lunch at the picnic area of the Natural Park, the group visited the Molins, a group of old wind mills built in the 14th and 15th Centuries, which have been restored and preserved.
Finally, we walked down back to the Port and the hotels, where we said goodbye, as the majority were leaving the next morning.
The difficulties the volcano caused and our visitors’ long journeys home will probably become just an anecdote that will have made this visit yet a more unforgettable event. Work continues…
