Thoughts about results of knitting project kalymnos

2nd Junior High School of Kalymnos, Dodecanesa, Greece Our student’s opinions about our final results 

1. CHRYSOPIGI RODITI

"I think it is possible that a common European future with other countries in Europe where we shall work hard, when we trust each other, which is based on real data and if we can stay firm and brave and fighting until the end to achieve such a noble purpose.

I think this is why we exchanged surprise packages with cultural content. Our classmates offered us papers, books, maps to know their culture and their promotion of the city in our common European home. And we in our turn were offered our cultural package to our peers in other countries containing traditional products of our country to show our way of life: o

Thyme honey, flavored with unique taste, of our bees.

A post-card by climbing the rugged barren mountains of our island which determined the character, the political and social organization of our island and its economy. Thousands of people, climbers from all over the world, make us the honor visiting the island to enjoy their climbing. This post-card is been flavoring fragrant with oregano of our island to contain for our classmates an idea of nostalgia for a country that teaches people dream constructively. o

Natural sponges from the Mediterranean, durable, excellent quality, highlighting the diving prowess, bravery, the ability for hard work and the generosity to share things with toil and dangers been acquired. o

Finally, we sent bookmarks braided from our hands to crochet, one for each classmate. Each bookmark made constructed by praying for the recipient, so we have given in our offer over the material and spiritual meaning of love, concern for the existence of our fellow human being and purpose in the lives of wholehearted sympathy to their problems, as we understand them in our national and our religious heritage. o

I much enjoyed my participation in this program and I shall enjoy every time we need to finish it finally.

2. CHRYSOPIGI RODITI My friend has no computer but she is at the program. So I'll guest her to my place here for her opinion which is : "I think we can have a common European future, because there was such a good communication and relationship between students and the countries who participated in this European program. This Common European Future should be based on humanitarian values of respect for life, property, the right to education, democracy and acceptance of any kind diversity and, also, respect for the national traditional values of each country belonging to Europe.

I liked that we shared positive thoughts and proposals and disagreements and problems of our country too, between us, we discussed what we are able to do for, the recording of them for studying to formulate the final results of our research. I only had negative impression that a school was withdrawn without notice at some point, but we figured that it would probably have their own problems and, finally, fortunately, it responded and expressed their willingness to continue the program. They were welcomed of course.

I was enthusiastic with the idea of sharing surprise parcels, I used to love the cultural content packages and I studied all the material with joy and desire to learn as much as I could to understand the thinking, supply and lifestyle of each country inside their received gifts. I was impressed that the children of our school wanted to send traditional products of our country and

indeed it was a very good idea judging by the response of our peer schools that they received them. Unfortunately, two boxes were lost and we will resend the new year not to complain our good partners.

I'm happy to continue to contribute to this task till it will be completed.

Faneroula M., B2 

3. Alex Kottis

The school year 2015-2016 a group of pupils of the 2nd Junior High School of Kalymnos by the responsible teacher, Mrs. Maria Panou, Teacher of Orthodox Theology, organized and participated in cooperation with four other European schools to a European project etwinning on: «Knitting our common European future with the threads of our national culture!». Through this program we met the contribution of all participating cities to culture, humanitarian values, to decent living for all European citizens. I felt united with all my classmates who I met in the program through the European portal of etwinning. We met, we talked, we thought together in our schools and also our personal interests, our concerns, the problems of our country.

At the same time, we laughed together, we shared our thoughts on everyday issues of our school life, played online computer games expressing a comfortable way our own thoughts or disagreements. We realized that we have not only us problems, but all the students, all the people in every corner of Europe and the world. We took initiatives that supported the belief that love, interest, compassion the problems of others help many of us and each one personally.

We exchanged surprise boxes with cultural content of our city maps, products of our island handiwork that they themselves constructed for each classmate / classmate of schools they took part, cards with the beauties of our country / our city and we felt members of a civilized world with the same dreams, goals, intentions and objectives. We drew the world we gave color to our hopes, we dressed our dreams in music, we designed them to realization.

And we created as the first phase of a multi- media online tourist map, divided into such many book as the cities of the schools were participated to. An online book for each city is already in our project home page. Also, we put the foundations for a constructive discussion of the problems facing each city going to study them in the second phase of our work in more detail.

It was great experience to participate in such a project and thank my teacher who had the initiative idea. As I ‘m going now to step change in secondary education I wish the new children who will continue the work to delight even those a wonderful world of knowledge, interaction, joy through cooperation and understanding. 

4. Anastasia Paparizou –

We can have a common European future that respects national traditions of each country, because if there is love, respect, honesty, solidarity, we can achieve together works beautifully.

I was impressed that while students from other european countries sent at their surprise package tourist maps of their city, in order to know us better their place, we thought we'd send our island representative traditional products that make up the complex cultural understanding how our life is, like oregano, honey, natural sponges from the Mediterranean, greetings cards, bookmarks knitted crochet for every classmate / our classmate in European cities, which makes sense. 

5. EUDOKIA NINNI

During this school year we created a group in our school with children of three grades of junior high school in collaboration with the theologian of our school, Mrs Maria Panou and children of other European countries.

We talked through facebook, skype, emails, twinspace / forums, our concerns, we shared customs and traditions, we worked together to record the problems of the cities, we inhabitted, we contacted for this reason cultural content gifts sending traditional local products of ours. Our classmates also sent us as gifts maps and books about the beauty and the cultural offer of their place.

I am very happy to have worked with children of other countries in Europe, as I knew the customs and traditions and I saw their willingness to work together for a common European happy future.

6. EIRHNH TSATAROU I believe that the intention to common European future was showed by all the children of all European countries of our program. Our collaboration was shown, as it was clear through the collaborative work we did, at videos and presentations of our cities and their supply in their country and in Europe, at our discussions through social networks, at our training or publication of our discussions through online journals of our schools, our cultural exchange surprise packets between our countries / schools to highlight our lifestyle and way of thinking.