"We are surrounded by water, but there is no drop to drink": Project meeting in Portugal

Video " Portuguese Rituals "

Fourth Visit Report

20th to 25th March 2011

Armamar, Portugal

Programme: Lifelong Learning Programe

Sub-Programme: Comenius

Action Type: Partnership

Action: Multilateral School Partnership

Project title: “ We are surrounded by water, but there is no drop to drink”

Theme: Traditions and rituals related to water

The 4^th meeting of the partners involved in the Comenius Project “We are surrounded by water but there is no drop to drink” had as main objective to share DVDs presenting the activities that were developed by the students in each of the schools that participate in the Project, according to traditions and rituals from each country and region related to water.

From 20th to 25th March 20011, the Agrupamento Vertical de Escolas de Armamar hosted 20 people from 6 countries: 14 teachers and 6 students. The teachers were accommodated in “Hotel Folgosa” where they were surrounded by the River Douro, source of water to the UNESCO Heritage’s Douro Valley, and the students were hosted by 3 families of Portuguese students in the region of Armamar.

Working programme:

20^th March- Sunday

Teacher from our school were picking up our guests from airports ( Oporto “ Sá Carneiro” and Lisbon), bus stations (Peso da Régua) and taking them to the hotel. The students were taken to the Portuguese host families.

21^st March- Monday

In the morning of the 21st of March, in the auditorium gently borrowed by the Firefigthers of Armamar, a small show of varieties was presented, with music, dances, coreographies, performing and slides presentations, in which the main intervenients were the students of the classes involved in the project: EB1 São Cosmado, EB1 Aldeias, EB1 Folgosa, 4º A and 4ºB of Armamar classes A. B and C of the 7th grade. After the show the partners had lunch at the school canteen before having a meeting for the rest of the presentations. They also participated in the school’s Reading Week by reading poems from Greece, Turkey and Lithuania.

22^nd March - Tuesday

In the next morning, the partners were officially hosted by the Mayor of Armamar, Hernâni Almeida, in the Town Hall. After lunch there was a visit to “Quinta das Carvalhas” in the Douro Valley to get to know more about the vineyards and the wine, and more specifically the Port Wine. The partners also visited a Douro cellar : “Nieport”.

23rd March - Wednesday

On the 23rd of March the partners visited the primary schools of Folgosa , S. Cosmado e Aldeias, stopping along the way in Lumiares Dam which supplies water to part of Armamar County. In the schools, the parents, the sudents and the teachers warmly welcomed the visitors with musical and gastronomical traditions of the region. In the afternoon there was a visit to the Convent of Salzedas, to Murganheira’s cellar and to Lamego’s historical part. In the evening the partners and some teachers of the host school gathered during dinner, where the traditional Portuguese group “Jograis de Gogim” played and danced traditional folk Portuguese music.

24^th March - Thursday

In the next day the partners left in the morning towards Oporto to visit the Water Pavillion, the sea shore of Matosinhos, and the mouth of River Dopuro into the Atlantic Ocean. In the afternoon, they had some free time to visit and explore the river shore of Oporto, a very traditional part of town.

25^th March - Friday

The partners returned to their countries.

Conclusions:

All aims mentioned at the beginning were achieved.

The partners evaluated the meeting and discussed some activities to the next meetings.

All groups received certificate and all documents were signed and stamped by our school.

The Portuguese Coordinator Head Mistress of the school

Ana Lázaro CristinaMexia